A Second Chance
by l Missy Angel l
Summary: Azula's drop into insanity sends her to the top asylum in the Fire Nation. Unknowing of her future, Azula tests herself of her sanity and the change she needs to survive. And whilst struggling, Azula must save herself from dangerous challenges she never thought to exist.
1. Prologue

I am happy that I finally got myself to get this story up. I am working relatively hard on it and hope I'll keep going on with this-I have yet to write a fanfiction and actually finish it. XP So, with that, you know that this is not my first fanfiction, so I'll be happy to take criticism, I guess. Although I have yet to really know what kind of stuff is ahead (so the genre's could be off), I have an idea of what might happen.

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Avatar: the Last Airbender. I only own this story that I wrote.**

A Second Chance

Prologue

During the Fall

Here she was, in the middle of falling into insanity, yet it didn't even feel like it. She felt like she was only venting out her anger and sorrow of her defeat, entangled in chains connected to the ground with no chance to escape on her own. Fire exploded from her mouth as she screamed and fell on her side. Yes, this wasn't insane at all…

Yet the terrified faces of her two worst enemies stood before her, just watching her. Was it so hard to at least get her out of her restraints? She was a Fire Lord; she shouldn't be beaten like this! It wasn't fair!

Tears splattered from her face as she fell into hysterical crying. The recognition hit. She had lost. She was not Fire Lord, nor would she ever be. She had failed- failed her father, failed her nation, failed herself.

Finally, her brother and the Water Tribe girl left together, with her brother walking more carefully with his wounds slowing him down. Wounds she caused. However, she didn't even feel triumphant over that small victory she gained. No one was listening to her cries and screams and insanity. Did anyone even care? It was a long time before she even heard footsteps come her way. By that time, she had calmed somewhat, and the skies were darkened, no longer red from the comet. She was breathing heavily but had stopped the tears from coming, and her voice was almost gone from all her yelling. Fire puffed from her mouth every other breath, but she simply ignored it.

She pulled her head up to see it wasn't her brother or even her father. If her father is here, she would have hope; she could be Fire Lord again, everything would be what they wanted, and the world would be theirs…

But no. It wasn't anything like that. Instead, she was surrounded by five ancient looking sages. One kneeled beside her, his face revealing the sympathy he held for the fallen princess. Her hair whipped against the hair and over her face, hiding the insanity and anger rising in it.

"Pr-princess Azula?" the one sage asked, wide eyed. Sure, he had seen Azula just before their interrupted coronation, obviously on the brink to losing her mind, but he hadn't anticipated for such a horrible result of the battle on her.

"No, no!" spat Azula, shifting her head onto the ground, mindlessly looking at the water churning through the holes under her. "I am Fire Lord Azula -I am not a princess anymore!"

No sages replied, afraid to do so. But the one beside her slowly reached out to her. He was nervous, like she was a cat ready to bite if he was too close. Eventually, however, he mustered enough courage to get close to her and grab the chains. At once, Azula realized what he was going, and contently let him do so. She felt her wrists be freed from the chains, which feel to the clatter against the ground.

But she was not freed; not by a long shot. Arms clasped harshly by her waist and her arms, and a bellow was released from Azula's lips. It roared through the area like a monster had awakened. Metaphorically, it had.

"Let me go! Do as I say! Now!" Azula hissed, struggling against the three sages' grasps.

"You must stay calm, Azula," the eldest sage said scornfully, glaring at the crazed and fallen princess. There was no regret, no sympathy anywhere, neither in his tone nor his face. "Or else you will end up nowhere."

Azula's hands blazed with brilliant blue fire, but the men's holds were too strong altogether, and she could barely burn the one's wrists. Her face contorted in pain as the fire only burnt her own hands. The fire evaporated in the air, and she felt everything in her-her fury, her energy-die out. Now, she was too tired, too lost in the events that had just unfolded, to feel anything. She was limp in the men's arms, still breathing heavily as she looked into the eyes of the scolding sage. She gave him the worst glower she could plaster on her face.

This didn't faze the sage at all. He nodded curtly. "Azula, by orders of Fire Lord Zuko-"

The remaining sages eyed the princess, worried that she might react viciously that her brother, the one who caused all this, was now the ruler of the nation; just like she would've ended out without him.

But she remained still, only staring with cold, evil eyes. Her teeth were gritted, but it never formed a scream or a demand. Her unkempt black hair was a shield once she bowed her head. Her stance was klutzy, knees bending, but the sages straightened her up. Even with her head down, the sage stared hard at her.

"Azula, you are being sent to Yun Ko, by orders of your brother."

Her eyes grew wide, and she pulled them to the sage's face. There was more disbelief than anger, even a bit of horror. The name was familiar, but she considered it a disgrace to anyone to say the name of the top asylum in the Fire Nation. Yet here she lay, having just been told she was being sent to it by her own brother; the bastard…

"We are not going to fight you, Azula, and we won't stay here all day. You have no choice. You will be taken there by carriage in the morning. Meanwhile, you will be watched over as we take you to the prison to sleep in for the night," the old sage continued. He turned, now with his back to Azula's face, and he walked away. By instincts, the remaining sages, including the ones holding Azula, pulled forward to follow him.

She didn't think she'd see him, but across the hallway into the palace, there he was. He was standing on the side, surrounded by several guards, for paranoid reasons against her. His reasons were obvious. She pulled against the sages, her face ablaze with rage. "You traitor! How could you do this to your own sister! I hate you!" she snarled.

Zuko didn't reply, didn't even shift his hardened expression. He watched her as the sages took her to the front of the palace and away from it.


	2. Chapter One

Well, I'm glad this got good reviews so far.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Avatar: the Last Airbender. I only own this story that I wrote.

A Second Chance

Chapter One

Wise Words from the Side

Sleep was the very last thing that was significant in her mind; something important was freedom, something she obviously couldn't get, but she wouldn't stop thinking about it. She had paced around the cell over and over, enough to tire her legs after a long time. Azula sat down, crossing her knees, and glared at the back wall. Anything that passed her by through the barred cell door would make her furious and envious. Those things could move around, be free, even if they were stupid guards on patrol. They mocked her, even if they didn't know it, even if they were silent. And she hated them for it.

Azula was told that in the very early morning she would be taken away, to get some sleep for the carriage ride and for a long journey to the Fire Nation asylum, even though it wasn't too far from the Fire Nation capital. It was more of a snide demand in a failed attempt to ask nicely, and it made her feel pathetic to be told what to do, especially by some strangers in armor. She found herself staring at the cold, dark ceiling of her cell, her mind drifting. Her stubbornness, though, was stronger than ever, and she kept telling herself to not fall asleep. _I don't need sleep_, she thought. _I need my palace and my throne. Nothing more!_

Due to her incident just hours before, the guards feared of another attack. With this thought, the guards kept a system to be sure at least one guard would watch over the one prisoner for just the rest of the night, always keeping an eye on her. Each fear for their lives but felt assured; throughout the night, the insane princess remained silent, hardly moving from her position of staring at the wall, her back to the cell door.

But the guard that was early in the morning looked into the small room, staring at the fallen princess. They never said he couldn't talk to her, but was there an unintended risk, anyway? It seemed pretty obvious. He sighed and spoke slowly, "Can…can I get you anything, Azula?"

Her head whipped around. The guard flinched by instincts; but otherwise, he remained as calm as he could as the princess's glare crept up his spine. "No, nothing! Unless you can get me out of this place and let me free," she said.

"I don't think I could if I tried."

Azula sighed, expecting more. She glared acidly at her feet, her back smashed against the right wall. She prolonged her previous silence, but the guard didn't seem to notice and continued speaking. For once, a smile was formed on someone's face even while looking at the insane ex-princess. And it wasn't fake like so many she had received. "Azula, I don't know you well…I only work here, so I haven't been to the palace…" He stopped himself, realizing he was dropping into a topic that she would have no interest in, but recoiled once he thought of what else to say. "But you can get out of this on your own, without me."

"How?" A spark of interest and hope rose in her voice. Yet she remained in her place, not smiling.

"You need to…you know, try to think of stuff besides being Fire Lord-that isn't going to happen. And just saying you want to be free isn't very easy as actually getting to be free," said the guard nervously.

"Oh, I'll get out of here eventually," Azula said sharply, but she was really reassuring herself more than telling off some guard

"Yeah. Later this morning. Pretty soon," the guard added with a smirk.

It took a moment for Azula to absorb what he meant. Her nostrils flared again as she mustered a forceful glare upon the smirking guard "No, not that!" she hissed. "I don't want to be trapped in a cell or forced to some asylum. That isn't what a Fire Lord is meant for!"

The guard's grin faltered, but he seemed sympathetic, hoping to show that he cared. Not like Azula cared, however. She wanted more than anything for this guard to leave her alone, but she didn't even get that wish. It shouldn't have surprised her that she, again, did not get her way. "You just need a second chance, that's all. A second chance to…to change. So you can return without trying to, you know, kill anyone," he continued. There was no humor in his tone, even though what he said last sounded like something one could laugh at. Indeed, he sounded very serious.

Finally, a minute passed, and he had completely stopped talking to her. She could've given a sigh of relief, but that was simply a start to getting what she wanted. How far would that even go? Azula turned away once more. The rest of the one guard's time was filled with silence.

Azula didn't want to admit how right she considered the guard. She needed this, whether she was okay with it or not. She needed this to return to her kingdom. It was the only way that didn't involve being on the run and wanted.

But could she really get herself together? Could she really get a second chance? She was all alone, she was without a plan, and she was simply too insane to fully compromise any ideas for her freedom. As of now, after everything in her life crumpled into near nothingness, everything was uncertain. Her future was up to her, while not trying to please her father or rule the world; those choices weren't even hers anymore. Azula wanted more than anything to be free and rule, but she would eventually discover how things could change in her life by the choices she made the night before.

[I really hope I am writing Azula well so far, without making her seem too OOC. Throughout the story, however, she will change and act a lot more OOC than the Azula we know in the show. And that's how I planned it.]


	3. Chapter Two

Big thanks to InfiniteSet, whose words were really kind and made me worry less about Azula's character in my story. Thanks. And thanks to Thomas Drovin-and those who added this story or me (as an author) to their alert/favorite thing; it's great progress I take pride in for the little I've written of this so far. Okay, enough ranting from me. :)

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Avatar: the Last Airbender. I only own this story that I wrote. **

A Second Chance

Chapter Two

Into the Asylum

The guards for Azula's travel as well as the driver of her carriage to the asylum appeared in front of her cell door just two hours later. She had listened to the silence around her once the weird guard who spoke to her left, wanting all of this to be nothing more than a dream-turned into a nightmare. But it only got worse.

She made no arguments as the guards took her outside, much to their content. The driver kept smiling at her, though, like he knew she would explode at any moment. And once he was alone with her, while driving, he had little chance to survive should she fall into another insanity and rage attack. But the reminder of why she was here was sharp in her mind, so she didn't expect, or she at least hoped, she wouldn't do so.

Azula had no idea what angered her more; the bumps that constantly made the carriage jump vigorously, or the fact she was in this damn thing, heading for an asylum. Her hands were clenched in her lap, her nostrils flaring. Everything in her wanted her to explode and let her anger out and just get out of here, but the very small, very minute sanity that remained deep in her told her otherwise. She remembered that she had nowhere to go but this place; she was lost in a large world with no roads to fall into or anyone to help her.

Another bump made the carriage fly into the air momentarily. Her nails dug into her palms. _I'm almost there…great,_ she thought darkly. And while she awaited their arrival, she pondered.

She remembered it then like it was a nightmare. Her rage was like fire; it was as if it was powered by Sozin's Comet, too powerful for her control to limit its use. Now, here she stood, ready to be taken in by the patient carriage driver to an asylum. Without warning, without even realizing they had arrived, the driver opened the door for Azula, gesturing across to the building that was bursting with nurses and insane people-Azula being of the latter.

Azula took gradual first steps on the asylum grounds, which was surrounded by more forest than buildings; in fact, there was hardly a building within a few yards! The area was quiet and hardly a soul was outside except for the two. It was a chance to run away, be free. But where? And at what consequences? The minute sanity left inside of her understood both of these questions, and she dropped the subject.

The driver gave her a smile, an attempt to lighten her black mood. She turned away, toward the building. The driver put a white gloved hand upon the small of her back and pressed her across the field and closer to the asylum. Azula took a quick glimpse of the building.

The building seemed ominous, almost strange. Made of dark gray masonry, the building stretched four stories into the air. The above two stories' windows was trapped with bars horizontally encasing them like a prison window, while the bottom two floors' remained freer and bar-less. The asylum stretched fifty or so yards; she wasn't measuring too hard. Ivy stretched across the left side of the face of the asylum.

Finally, she was inside. It was more depressing than she anticipated, and more crowded as well. At least five people were in the room, including the large room sitting in a chair behind a white counter. Two beige couches stood on either side of the small room, standing against the tan walls.

On one couch, a woman sat, clad in a red kimono that clashed against the dull room. She was patient looking, certainly not a patient in the asylum. The other couch, however, held two, a boy and a girl, wearing white robes. The aura around them gave Azula the impression that they practically lived here. The one boy was strumming a guitar in his lap, while the girl smiled while he played. Hearing the sound was like torture in her ears, so Azula brought a glare upon her face. Eventually, the boy's large eyes bored into hers, and once they met, terror shook his body and face. In an instant, the boy burst from the room, his guitar's crash to the floor now echoing through the walls. Although the girl gaped at Azula, Azula twirled her head and continued to the counter with the driver.

The woman greeted them with another fake smile, specifically toward Azula. "How may I help you?" she asked, eyes shifting from Azula to the driver.

The driver leaned in for an attempt to whisper. "She is your new patient. This is Pri…Miss Azula."

His attempt was a fail; a loud fail that bounced into the room. All eyes came to her, all widened whether they belonged to patients or visitors.

The last person Azula saw in the room, right in the front, however, didn't look at her. She never took her eyes out from the chair. Another girl had her knees against a chair, staring into a window, so her face was mysterious. Black curls stood stiff at her sides. The worst of her was…she looked so young, hardly ten years old. The idea of being in an asylum at such a young age even made Azula nervous. She imagined her mother might've tried to bring her here at one time, even, because of her mother's description of her; "a monster." Azula quickly turned away from the girl, and realized a sixth person had just entered the room without her knowing.

Another fake smile, with pure-white teeth, was plastered on the asylum worker's face; she immediately hated him. He extended a hand to the driver, only the driver didn't accept. He was already on his way through the door. The worker chuckled. Azula gave him a glare, as a test of just how long this one would last for her.

Instead, he nodded at her, giving her another smile, this time more genuine. Still, she hated him. "Hello, Azula. I'm Doctor Kiko. I'll be your doctor," he said.

[Okay, so…I have no idea what goes on in an asylum. I'm just going to say this right now. I've never been on one, and the only book I've read about one was _the Bell Jar. _However, whatever happens in the story is what I decide Azula shall face in there, and I will not look up the events in asylums for this story; honestly, it would be a waste of my time. Besides, things in the Avatar World could be different, I decided.]


	4. Chapter Three

Thanks, again, to my repliers. Whether new or old repliers, they still mean a lot to me. :P

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Avatar: the Last Airbender. I only own this story that I wrote. **

Chapter Three

Entering the First Day

The first thing Dr. Kiko showed her was her room. He didn't say anything to her while on the way. Azula turned, hoping for her driver. A last chance to get out of there. But the carriage was gone, she saw through the window. Dr. Kiko was looking over his shoulder, his gold eyes shimmering as he waved for her to come forward.

His back was facing her, and he was not even walking beside her. Did he really trust her to walk behind him without even striking him or sneaking away? Azula, however, didn't take a step aside or attacked him; only slowly meandered through the lifeless, tan corridors of the asylum's first floor. After a staircase took them one floor above, he took a sharp left and stopped. Azula stopped immediately before bumping into him.

"This is your room, Azula," said Dr. Kiko, gesturing to a white door on the left walls of another hallway, which was ominously darker than the last few hallways. He thrust opened the door and gestured once more for her to enter. She reluctantly did so.

A single room that was white with tan walls like the outside held almost complete emptiness, much like the hallways. Azula walked across the white floor, toward the white, simple bed with a soft, light orange blanket lying against it. It was the only thing in the whole room, which looked wide with so little to be held in it.

"This is where you will sleep and live until you can be trusted to return home," said Dr. Kiko slowly, entering the room just behind her. She turned around, just recalling his presence again. She sighed. "I'll let you get settled in, and a nurse will take you to my room tomorrow in the morning." He nodded at her solemnly and closed the door behind him.

The silence beyond that flowed in the tense air. Azula took a look through a window, only seeing disappointment and the bars that she saw from the top two floors. She understood, though; they didn't trust her. But maybe she would make them eventually.

She sat on the bed, waiting for the door to open and start what she knew would be something she would regret. But if it was a step, however small, to get of here, then so be it.

Azula put out her hand close to her face. She found, seconds later, a small blue flame flickering in the air inches above her raised hand. She stared at it, wondering how much damage she could do in this room…later, Azula, later. Just not now; you just got here!

But as the night grew and the day fell into the ground, Azula found herself exhausted. What with her stubbornness to not sleep the day before, she found her eyes slowly closing on its own. She looked out the window again, seeing the purple skies through the bars. It was cloudy, and she could hear rumbling in a few yards forward. A very nice way to end her first day here-when she didn't even do anything.

Her dreams were dark and near complete nothingness. But fire flickered in the images every other minute or so. She even saw the Comet that changed her life and the ways of the Fire Nation. It brought horrid memories, and brought her into a wake very early in the morning. She decided not to sleep the rest of the morning.

A few hours passed, and she was staring at the pale ceiling, feeling darkness ready to pounce and take over. But the door opened, and fury burned through her blood, exhaustion taking over. She jumped up, seeing a nurse coming in. In her arms was a tray of food. Her face was blank, not wavering toward Azula.

Azula peered at the tray the woman placed on the small table at the side of her bed. A very close glance lasted before she shot a look at the woman, who was already heading out the door. She, at first, would have spoken out, to get the woman's attention.

"Aren't you coming?" the woman asked as Azula's lips parted.

"For what?"

Finally, the woman's brown eyes came to Azula, eyebrows up against her forehead, showing impatience and a harsh aura. "To visit Dr. Kiko. He's arrived and asks to see you for your first questionings. I'll ask Tai-Mali to take you," she said with a hard face.

A few minutes later, a creak made both women's eyes fall toward the door. A tall, skinny nurse had entered, apparently not liking so much attention, what with her widened hazel eyes. She had a nervous smile. Apparently, she knew of Azula's new reputation, and worried for her life in front of the exiled princess, unlike the cold eyed nurse beside her. Tai-Mali cleared her throat and asked her, "Azula, will you follow me, if you will? I'll be taking you to Dr. Kiko's room." She nodded toward the other woman. "You can…can leave now, Gia…unless you want to follow us," she added, and something in her tone told Azula that she did not want to be alone.

The woman smiled, but it wasn't sweet. "No, I've…got other patients to look over, you know? See you later," she replied, and she strolled out of the room.

The nurse readdressed Azula with a wide eyed stare. "Well…if you can follow me, A-Azula, we'll go find Dr. Kiko in his room to…to talk to you." And she gestured toward Azula for the latter for follow her. Azula took tentative steps towards her and eventually let herself out of her room.

The corridor that they were in was still silent, still dark. It made her feel betrayed that they would put her in such an ominous hallway; she guessed that it may be for those really special ones here. Considering her newest reputation, maybe they gave her someplace special to live in while there. But Azula decided it was a waste of her time to think about and pushed it aside from her thoughts.

"You coming?" asked the nervous nurse, turning over her shoulder.

Azula returned to reality, realizing she had stopped in her tracks. Aside from a few other nurses, the room was silent and empty. All the nurses were eyeing Azula, much to her raging paranoia. She shook her head, bowing it toward the ground, and following the nurse's footsteps to Dr. Kiko's room.

"Why is that hallway I'm in so…dark?" Azula realized how silly she sounded, but it was inquired; she felt curious.

Tai-Mali blinked. "Oh, that's…it's a silly story-OH, we're here!"

Tai-Mali opened the door to a room instantly, gleefully taking this as a drop of the subject. Once she saw that they were not alone again, Azula decided to keep it at that, too. "Still here, I see," Dr. Kiko greeted when she entered. A smile stretched on his face, but it didn't seem as fake as yesterday-or anyone else that worked there. She appreciated it even a little, but didn't say anything. "That's a start."

Azula's eyebrows narrowed at him, but he continued grinning. She didn't care about the doctor at all, though. She turned to Tai-Mali, who was already backing out the room. What did she say? Oh, it's a silly story... What was a silly story? There was a story to it? Well, find out eventually…whether she was allowed to or not. But at the moment, she had a bigger challenge to face, as she stared spitefully at Dr. Kiko.


	5. Chapter Four

I was disappointed to see four sudden reviews that were more negative than positive. But then I saw they were from one person (miluvrox-I'm not hiding it; you can see his/her reviews!). I'm sorry you feel that way, but you seem like a big Azula fan-something I never was until I began writing this story. The way I want to write Azula is to have her become a dynamic character-a character that goes through changes as the story progresses. Not to mention that the whole traumatizing events that unfolded during her fall caused her to fall into a weaker state. I promise you, though, that I won't have Azula be so weak. Anyway, I am still happy with my other reviews and will continue the story as promised.

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Avatar: the Last Airbender. I only own this story that I wrote. **

Chapter Four

Try and Fail

The nurse's eyes shifted from Dr. Kiko to Azula several times. Dr. Kiko chuckled at her, and she beamed slightly. He nodded at the nurse, gesturing toward the door just behind her. Tai-Mali left without another word, still shaking from being in Azula's presence.

"They don't understand-the nurses, that is, most of them-what you are going through. Sorry they seem so terrified of you," Dr. Kiko began, now looking at her.

"You don't understand either. No one does," Azula snarled, her arms crossed with impatience. She turned away, rolling her eyes. What she said was the truth, and she worried about how it would be like to be here, all while being told "I understand" and "We know what you're going through." Neither of those words was true…from any of these people!

"Yes, I don't," muttered Dr. Kiko, nodding. "But that's just something I say a lot. It's not the truth, but it sooths some people. Not you, obviously.

"Now, how about taking a seat, and we can begin?" he patted the chair he sat just to his right.

Without much hesitance or struggle, Azula found herself lying on an outstretched chair that made her stare toward the white and light blue ceiling. Dr. Kiko sat in another chair, only much straighter, right beside her. In his hands were a writing utensil and a parchment of paper.

"Okay, so can we just get this over with?" Azula asked impatiently. Her arms remained crossed over her chest, and her wide lips were pursed. After a slight scorn from the doctor, she put her arms aside and relaxed her position. Azula resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and she awaited Dr. Kiko to reply.

"So, what do you think you're in here for?" began Dr. Kiko.

She could hardly believe what he was saying. What did she think was wrong? Was that what he was asking? She didn't reply and instead turned to him with a raised eyebrow. But Dr. Kiko wasn't watching her; he was staring into the parchment, prepared for whatever she would say.

But she didn't. Stubbornness invaded her mind, telling her not to answer. It thought it was the best idea, an idea that would work to make Dr. Kiko leave her alone and never try to talk to her again. He couldn't stay here forever.

As silence prolonged itself, however, Dr. Kiko remained in his place, even after a few minutes passed. Instead of leaving, he was even writing stuff down. She hadn't even said anything yet! …But wait! Maybe that was the idea. He was here to watch what she did, how she acted to his questions, and all of it pointed to just what was wrong with her.

It hit her then. She couldn't not speak. No matter what, she'd be stuck in this place. Unless she escaped, which she knew was not possible. She saw out the window this morning, even, that some guards surrounded the sides of the walls. Clearly, they were here to her, and ready to attack. She would be ready to attack, too, but…where to go? This always stumped her and would stop her.

And, finally, she spoke; quick and more to the wall than Dr. Kiko. "Well, no one seemed to get that I was supposed to be Fire Lord. My brother and his little friend didn't seem to like it. So they took me down and…now I'm in this hell hole."

A smile stretched on Dr. Kiko's face. He seemed please by her just speaking, which could have made her laugh. Could've. His face grew serious again within a moment afterwards. "But if they didn't stop you, do you think you would end up here anyway?"

"Of course not," she said, laughing now.

"So you're in here because of a little fight with your brother and his friend? This isn't a prison or a place to give time-outs, Azula, so I'm sure there's more to this story."

At this, Azula wouldn't talk. Even as her mind fumbled about the pros and cons of this, she was very tentative to speak of what happened just a day ago-even though it was what felt like so many _decades_ ago.

"I'd like to talk to you about the day of Sozin's Comet," Dr. Kiko said. He leaned forward and added, "The day of your coronation."

Her widened eyes glared toward Dr. Kiko, speechless. It was like he read her mind and was ready to use it against her. The mere mention of it made her anger fuel her blood and energy. Her hands clamped against the chair. But a few long deep breathes later, she felt the anger drain gradually.

Dr. Kiko, much to her surprise, was still looking at her, apparently having not moved an inch. He was patient, now waiting for her to respond.

His staring made paranoia etch in her face as it contorted harshly into a snarl. She had to say something, she reminded herself. She sighed and said, "What do you want-what about it?"

"Well…how about just before. Like a few hours before your coronation. How did you act?" he continued. "What did you do?"

Azula was puzzled, unsure how to answer. In reality, she saw it as nothing but a big blur of anger and depression everywhere-for her, anyway. She dug her face into her hands, trying to compromise everything that occurred the night before. And by then, she slowly began blurting it all out. "I banned almost all the people in the palace; the servants, my Dai-Li agents, and even my mentors-well, actually I banned Li…or was it Lo? Ugh, I could barely tell them apart," she added bitterly, grimacing.

But despite the rage already beginning to contort her face, Dr. Kiko prolonged his pleased nodding and smiling. It was like he was oblivious to her reactions. He wrote down some stuff on the parchment, the sound of the ink stroking against the paper.

"Now what do you think made you act so wildly? Name one thing that you are certain of."

She had no idea why he was asking her this. And she was so scared of saying anything-scared? No, that wasn't a word she liked. She wasn't scared. She just had no idea what would be of her if she couldn't control herself. She sighed, trying to think about it, while not trying to think about it. Yeah, that would work. But Dr. Kiko glanced at her expectantly, and she found the words pouring from her mouth. It was hesitant, but she was still speaking.

"I remember…seeing something in the mirror. It wasn't me, though," she began. Her voice trailed off, biting her lip enough that she swallowed blood.

"What was it, Azula?" Now Dr. Kiko was intent for her answer, leaning closer to her.

"It was…it was my mother. She was talking to me. I knew it was fake, though," she continued, and the tears from the night before returned-only for different reasons. She felt the pain returning, felt the anger boiling in her veins. The recalling of her fake talk with her mom was unnerving and nothing she wanted to speak of. Yet here she was…

"What did she say?"

She covered her face with her palms, her nails digging into her cheeks. She wanted to hide the tears, hide the defeat pouring from her eyes in the form of liquid. She hated how weak she was, how pathetic she was acting. "She…she said she was pr-proud of me. That she-she loved me."

The next thing she knew, she was bursting into loud, hysterical crying and yelling. She was cursing and throwing tears onto the floor. She dropped from the couch and kneeled down onto the floor, right in between emotions of fury and depression at once. The fight for the power of either emotion was overwhelming, and she felt the insanity of the night before return, just at the mere mention of the image of her mother. It wasn't real…it wasn't FREAKIN' real! Her mind bellowed; the small amount of it still sane, that is.

But she didn't stop. She stared at the wall, feeling claustrophobic. The walls were closing in, and she couldn't get out. There was no chance of escape-no, there had to be! She had to get out! Everything was too close, too painful. Darkness built into her chest, and she had no control of anything that happened around her; not her mind, not her body, not the fire blasting from her knuckles. She simply watched, unsure what to think of it all, as she lost it in front of her doctor on the very first day of her

Her fire was bright blue through the room of almost complete colorlessness. But the walls were fire-proof; the flames only blasted against the wall, not even scorching it or leaving marks against it. Through thunderous emotions dancing in her mind, Azula knelt to the floor, tears bursting through her eyes. She felt as if nothing was inside her, not even a heart, not even blood. She just felt nothing but the thunderous emotions exploding out of her too fast.

And Dr. Kiko just sat there, with no expression. He blinked several times before taking a quick note in the piece of parchment, standing up, and walking out of the room. The door closed with Azula still hysterical on the floor, and she hardly took notice of the one sound available in the room aside from her heavy breathing and loud tears. A nurse would wait for her to calm down before, defeat, Azula would walk out the room and leave for her bedroom, like a meandering zombie.

At this rate, she knew, it would take years to get out of this personal hell of hers.


	6. Chapter Five

Thanks to those who have replied. I'm trying my best for this and am at least glad people reply, so…yeah.

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Avatar: the Last Airbender. I only own this story that I wrote. **

Chapter Five

Epiphany in Long Silence

Three silent weeks passed with hardly any progress. The days dragged on in horror and depressing results. Azula grew more unspeaking and unresponsive to the nurses, and eventually Dr. Kiko. Often, she sat in her bed, never wanting to leave her room. She didn't sleep, didn't eat. She could've been considered dead, hadn't she wiggled in her bed every other hour. But that was the only thing she did for a long while. But the darkness crept into the rest of her body, taking her in as the days became a full three weeks. The tears never returned; she didn't allow them to. In her anger, she often blasted fire against the wall and, if at the right time, at any nurses that came into the room. Of course, those nurses would run off, sometimes to Dr. Kiko, once Azula was forced to be calmed down by several guards.

"She needs to be taken to Ash Wen!" complained Tai-Mali, referring to the asylum in Ba Sing Se. She was, much to her unfortunate displeasure, one of the nurses to constantly assist Azula-or at least bring in her food and try to get her out of bed, which didn't work anyway. Ash Wen was the kind of asylum for those especially worrisome ones. Horror struck her pallid face. For this one, Azula had ended up singing her bouncy brown bangs. She put it out and glared at him with a pout on her lips.

Dr. Kiko, however, had other plans. He gave her a calm look and put hand on the woman's slender shoulder. "Just wait, Tai-Mali. She'll come around eventually. You may be new here, but…it takes time for the new ones to even get out of bed. Just wait. Patiently."

And they waited, and another two weeks came. It was like an eternity had hit the hallway. The darkness in the hallway symbolized the quiet and ominousness from the rooms that were hardly ever opened from its owners. It was considered a haunted hallway by many, even the ones who slept in it.

But then the two weeks had passed. That night, Azula didn't feel the hunger that usually erupted in her stomach so much that she would demand for food she'd later devour. No, tonight, she felt horrible and in no mood for anything. Her mind was wandering; she was not sure just what she was thinking of.

Azula's eyes slowly closed and she drifted asleep.

It was, at first, blurry and cold inside her dream. She could see herself, as if she wasn't herself at the moment. She appeared as she saw herself before she fell into insanity. She stood proud, red lips pursed, and her black hair completely in a bun atop her head. Azula was pleased with what she looked like then, better than now, certainly. Her background was aflame in red-orange fire. She thought she was alone, but she looked some more.

A group of people appeared, as if floating in the open space. A flash of pink brought her the most attention, along with a frown that she never saw on the pink lover's face. She seemed disappointed, tears making her eyes glow. "Oh, Azula," Ty Lee chimed, her hands on her chest melodramatically.

Mai was there, too, a glare on her face. She was turned to the side in an impatient posture, arms crossed. Her lips curled into a snarl, contrasting so much to Ty Lee's sweet and sympathetic state. Azula remained silent and monotonous, unsure what to think. After all, this was nothing more than a dream…

And she saw more. Her brother, her father, her uncle, and…her mother. The last one was with Ty Lee and Mai, closer to Azula than the others. But Azula remained her distance from them.

Azula grew to despise the images that came, and turned away. She scrutinized her face, rubbing the temples of her head with her fingertips. Wake UP already, damn it! But even in the blackness of closing her eyes, she stayed put in her dream. She looked over her shoulder, seeing people closest to her, still floating, still staring. Zuko, Uncle Iroh, and her father disappeared in thin air, apparently not as important as the people in front of her.

Her mother was still there. Azula's eyebrows narrowed at her, but Ursa gave her a sweet and sympathetic smile.

"Azula, you know I love you," said her mother softly.

"You think I'm a monster!" Azula shouted, recalling almost the same exact conversation just before her coronation. At that moment, she never felt so horrible. Now it was returning, all the pain she felt, and the torture of having this woman remain in her thoughts. "Now go away!"

Ursa's smile faltered. She reached out for Azula but was still in her place. "We know you can get yourself out. You just have to forget all the bad stuff that has happened to you. You can save yourself if you just try."

"Just shut up!" Azula sneered, holding her head between her hands in a frenetic way.

"Azula!" Ty Lee said in a loud voice. Azula turned to her. Tears rolled down the young, girly friend. "We miss you. If you can change yourself, I know we could be friends again. I might forgive you if you prove how much you can change."

"Please," replied Azula. "This is just a dream. Nothing you guys say is true."

"Maybe it's a dream, but what we say is still true. And you know that. Why else would we be saying this?" This time, it was Mai who spoke. Still snarling and glaring, but something in her eyes gave something away. Something she rarely saw; was it sympathy? It was still a dream, but it was so strange to see her dull friend ever feel…anything. And she pondered what her monotonous friend said.

As she pondered, her friends and her mother became a black mist, slowly losing their faces and color. Once they changed fully into nothing more than a dark, seeable air, they evaporated into nothing. But their voices still echoed in her mind, even as the blackness shrouded her vision.

And as the darkness overcame her and she waited for herself to awaken, she understood. She knew that an epiphany had struck, and that it was all true. Her eyes snapped open, staring at the ceiling. She felt everything fit into a puzzle. Yes, she could get out. Yes, she could change herself. Yes, she could get everything to feel like it was before-it never could be the same, but somewhat.

She sat up straighter, staring around the blank, silent room. The room was swallowed by the night's darkness. She rubbed her eyes, looking at the bars on the window.

She blinked slowly, shocked by the quiet and the idea of all of that being only a dream. It felt so real…

But dream or reality, she felt that epiphany strike her chest with great recognition. She put her chin in between her legs, pondering. Everything meant the freedom she craved, and she comprehended that it would take everything inside her to control herself and change the evil image that brought her here.

[I'll be totally honest. I don't really like this chapter, but I felt that it had to be done. I really did! I felt that I needed Azula to actually realize the change she needs to continue her life, but by something like this, no matter how cliché I feel that it might be. So while I sort of dislike this chapter, I didn't at least hate writing it.]


	7. Chapter Six

Sorry for such a delay in my writing. I've been watching lots more of the show (for the billionth time xD), and I'm staring to get Azula's character once I look at her deeply. Luckily, that might start to change. I think I'm starting to get the hang of her. Wish my luck! :D

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Avatar: the Last Airbender. I only own this story that I wrote. **

Chapter Six

Start of a New Day

Azula remained still in her bed, considering a way to show the nurses or Dr. Kiko that she wanted to try, wanted the second chance she believed she deserved so much. The heat drove into her body from being covered in blankets for over a month; she had hardly moved an inch off her bed for all that time. Her legs and arms ached, but she tried to remain strong.

A few hours passed when the door crept open. She turned and saw a nurse come in. As soon as she saw the hard face, she recognized the nurse as Gia, who still always seemed cold when around Azula. She gave Azula her breakfast on the table and turned to leave in just mere moments. Not a word, not a squirm, not a fearful shake. That was something that Azula silently and eventually took to respect the woman just a little bit.

But just as Gia was about to leave, the door open just ajar, Azula's voice issued from her lips. Gia went stiff, releasing the doorknob. She moved her large silver haired head over her shoulder to give her raised eyebrows. "What? Speak up!" she said, trying to keep her impatience controlled and away from her voice. While she never showed it, she couldn't help but fear any of these kinds of patients. Never show the fear you feel or it'll worsen, she always told herself…

"I'd like to go outside. Alone," Azula answered coolly, her arms folded against her chest. She was up in her bed, her feet dangling just above the floor.

"Hon," Gia said, glad to have the girl talk to her without getting pissed off, "we're not allowed to have you out Yun Ko just yet, and plus, you can't go out alone anyway. Dr. Kiko says-"

Azula rolled her eyes. "Not outside like the asylum-just outside my room. A walk in the halls! What, is that now allowed?" For once, Azula urged away the anger that wanted to be released. She couldn't, however, control the sarcasm she loved using more than anything. It was something no one would ever take away from her, not even something in a dream.

Gia glared at her but then sighed. "Yes, alright. I'm sure that's alright. You want to…do something with your hair, though?"

"What's wrong with my hair?" Azula had no idea, or a mirror, to tell how wild and tangled her hair had gotten. She dragged her fingers through strands, trapping a forefinger against a strict knot. She put her hands on her hips and jumped to her feet. After the more than a month of not even leaving the confides of her room, she legs struck with a numb feeling. But the feeling left as quick as it came, and by the time Gia came up and offered a hand, Azula quickly denied and truthfully told her that she could walk herself. At least that was truthful; she couldn't say she was fine…

Gia opened the door for her, but Azula thought of something and waited for her to instead go first. She was not only too stubborn to accept the offer, but decided to test Gia once again. She resisted the smirk that was tempting to come out.

"You know, I'm not waiting forever for you to get points for your fake kindness," Azula told Gia.

Gia groaned and finally left the room first. She still waited for Azula, who was now pleased with her, as she came out of the room, too.

A bright light nearly blinded her at first, but she got used to it within a few seconds. She felt lost in the world for a second, not sure where to go. But since the left hallway was at a dead end, she started at the right. "I'll take you to the quiet room…with some other patients. But don't do anything in there or else it'll be brought onto Dr. Kiko," the woman informed Azula.

"Oh, it's such a shame I don't get to punch someone's face without getting tattled on," Azula said sarcastically. "I feel like I'm four years old all over again."

With Gia right beside her, and the woman giving her such evil, suspicious stares, Azula wasn't that comfortable. But with the promise she made to herself still in her mind, she told herself that beating up one of her nurses wasn't a great idea. She stayed on the third floor, her arm lightly grasped by Gia. She sighed through her nose. She just needed to show that she was starting to change into a new leaf.

Then she came to the room. Gia, without another word, tossed Azula into the room and left before Azula could blink. Two guards stood at the doorway, appearing stiff in their place, even when their gazes lifted toward her.

The room had couches and a shelf of books, as well as several people already there in the early morning. The sun peeked in barely with the barred windows, but it still seemed dark in the room. No one talked, no one so much as even looked up when Azula entered the room.

Except one. But that single one was enough.

Her heart leaped as his eyes came to her. His eyes widened once his golden ones bored into hers. His eyebrows jumped, and his eyes then shown with strange interest. A smirk stretched on his face, but it wasn't showing friendliness or admiration. But he stayed in his seat.

A few minutes passed with strange silence, until… "Oh, guards, Shinro has just started losing it again in the hallway. We need your help!" a tiny nurse cried as she entered the hallway while waving her arms.

"You all keep calm, you here?" one guard said sternly, pointing to everyone in there. For once, Azula swallowed her sarcasm just this once, and the guards followed the small nurse to their problem

That was when the guy stood up. Everyone stared, except Azula, who could have ignored them completely. …Until he began to speak.

"Looks like we got another celebrity here, people," he said. Azula peered over her shoulder to see him staring at her, and he was speaking to a small group of his friends that sat on the floor or a couch. The boy stood up, walking towards her. Azula resisted the urge to snap back or make a sarcastic comment. The boy was inches from her, several inches taller than her.

But size was insignificant. Azula kept her cool and calmly replied, "Yes, you can call me a celebrity, if you want. And while you're at it, you can be my little slave and do what I say. How about that?"

The boy gaped but looked furious. A smaller boy behind him burst into laughter on the couch. "Oh, wow, you just made a bad mistake, missy," he replied. He jerked a thumb toward his friend. "Takeo doesn't take things so lightly."

"Yeah, so watch what you say around me, bitch," Takeo replied, eyes narrowed. His arms were crossed, but his body was poised for a future attack. Azula began to prepare as well but remembered the promise she forced herself. Sarcasm was okay, but fighting wasn't.

She was, however, not okay by Takeo's words. She gave a fake laugh. "What did you call me? Say it again," she challenged. "I dare you."

"Fine...bitch," he said, very close to her face now. He was still grinning.

"Listen, you better watch what you say to me, peasant," Azula snarled.

Takeo laughed, his broad shoulders fidgeting through his laughter. His lips curled into a bigger smirk, revealing his pure white teeth. His golden eyes glimmered with the insanity that brought him into this building-along with some trouble. "Some woman isn't going to intimidate me, not now, not ever."

"Just be careful," Azula taunted. "'Cause you don't want to get in trouble with the little nurses. So just walk away and we can-"

Without a warning, Azula saw his hands in the air outstretched, palms toward her. They pushed forward, right into her shoulders. His strength was high, and she found herself flying. Only a few feet she flew, but she still ended up on the floor, slamming her head into the bookcase. She dodged two books that fell down from her impact, crouching without caring how pathetic she would probably look.

It must've, because Takeo exploded into loud laughter. His friend and another followed, like his little servants that did everything he did because he was the stronger man, the bossier one. She tried not to be reminded of how she was like that. She wasn't that bad.

"I don't give a shit about those nurses. 'S long as I don't seem 'em, I do whatever I want," Takeo replied.

Azula, still on the floor, stared at her hand and saw the difference in his fighting. _At least I can destroy someone like you so easily_, she thought with a sly grin. That seemed to make Takeo's face fall, which only made her the pleased one. His pose remained ready to strike, however.

She grunted as she ran toward him, fingers curled in the right places to strike him-if she did it right, she might get to stab him in the arms. That'd get her in trouble with Dr. Kiko, but she surely wasn't going to let this boy get away with messing with her.

Takeo barely had any time to dodge the impact of her shoulders into his chest and her hands on his elbows. They both were airborne for a mere moment before Takeo's back pressed against the ground, and Azula was on top of him, fury contorting her face. Her hair mirrored her face from the bystanders that only watched. They didn't try to help Takeo, didn't run for help, did not even cheer for either person in the fight.

The horror that flashed on Takeo's face proved that Azula was winning this fight so far.

Azula wanted this finished. She was starting, and now she felt that the end needed to come-and harshly. This boy needed a lesson or two, and she was going to give it to him. With Takeo trapped in her grasp, she switched her hands around. One pushed against his chest, hoping he would stay just a bit longer, and the other in the air. She threatened him with a small blue fire that danced above her fingertips. She could almost see the reflection of the blue in Takeo's widened eyes.

_Don't!_

The voice was in her head, not from the wandering eyes of the patients in the room. Takeo gave her a raised eyebrow as she looked around, searching for the person she accused of speaking to her. She heard it repeat what it said again, and her hand shook with the fire still dangling above it. The temptation was dying, and so was her strong little flame.

_Don't waste your energy on such a guy. You don't want to be in here longer, do you, because of some jerk? Just get up and walk away, Azula. DO THAT!_

Azula bit back a scream begging to blow. She was hearing voices, wasn't she? No, she wasn't that crazy…not yet. She was simply hearing her conscience, that's all. It didn't sound familiar. She decided to let it go; she heard it, and she understood. She recalled the promise she made and straightened up. Takeo was still on the floor, apparently waiting for an attack that would never come.

This was not what Azula would do in a fight. She knew it; she was nothing like this guy. "Is this woman intimidating now?" she snarled, leaning into his face, hands rested on her hips. His eyebrows jumped as she nearly spat in his eye. "If this was a real battle, you'd be dead in an instant. Stay away from me!"

She turned on her heel and started to walk away.

And she had no idea what happened before she peered over her shoulder, but in the end, she saw a girl had forced Takeo onto the wall, and they were fighting now. Azula took a guess that Takeo tried to take a hit on Azula while she had her back turned, and the girl tried to help her. In a moment of weakness, Azula couldn't believe her luck, but still wished she could fight and try to take Takeo down.

But the result wasn't so good for either fighter. While Takeo seemed to throw harder blows, the girl was agile and missing attacks. They fought in a tight circle, bodies ramming into each other. They punched and kicked and threw themselves around, into the walls, onto the floor, against the bookcase and the couches. Everyone jumped around; some chanted "fight, fight, fight," others gasped, and even the one small boy, one of Takeo's friends, tried to pull them apart. But he was thrown back, too little to be of much help in a fight that grew more vicious as time fell. It was more violent than Azula's fight. This time, Takeo meant it.

Azula was laughing, however. She was amused that a fight she started even unintentionally. But then she saw a large-eyed woman sprint out of the room, screaming at the top of her lungs. "Two people are fighting in the quiet room!" Azula almost felt like laughing as she heard the chanting grow louder and the struggling from the room; not so quiet now, is it?

Two guards and a big doctor ran through the hallway and into the room. Immediately, the girl and Takeo were pulled apart, panting and bruised from the fighting. The girl received a bleeding lowed lip in the end, but Takeo was the better fighter; he appeared more unscathed than her, surviving with merely a few bruises and a scratch on his cheek.

But the girl then burst into tears and ran out of the room. No one paid attention to her, though. In the end, Takeo was the center of attention, something he obviously craved. In this case, though, he gave Azula a harsh hand gesture, but was forced from the room by the nurses and doctor.

Azula felt triumphant, smiling as she left the room.

But then she stopped, her smile pulled into a grimace as she met up with Dr. Kiko a few steps later. He, too, was smiling. That was most likely why she stopped smiling.

"I saw that, Azula," he said, pointing toward the room she just left. "I'm glad you stopped fighting Takeo. He's a tough one."

"Yeah, I got that," Azula replied.

"What made you stop?" Dr. Kiko asked.

Azula sighed, her patience already wavering. She didn't want to talk to Dr. Kiko-at least not now. Not when she had just relished a joyful moment, something she hadn't experienced in months. So when she answered, she said it just above a whisper and quickly. "Oh, just a little voice in my head. Big whoop. Can I go now?" she put her impatience out there to show she wanted him to leave.

Dr. Kiko nodded. Although she was half certain that he was just nodding to what she said, she still took his nod as a ticket to walk away and did so.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Thanks again to all who replied. It makes me feel good that I'm starting to get the hang of Azula's character.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Avatar: the Last Airbender. I only own this story that I wrote. **

Chapter Seven

Nosing About

As she walked back to her room, she saw how dark it was, and realization struck. Her eyebrows narrowed; she promised her...

In all the time she was trying to get herself back up, she had forgotten that she promised herself to find out what was going in there. And her curiosity grew and burned at the strangeness that lurked through the dark hallway's air and aura. It wouldn't go away, not even as she turned away. It taunted her, and she knew that she would not go without an answer right now. Yup, it was still in her mind, still curious. It would haunt her for who knows how long if she waited for answers.

"Oh, Azula, how are you?" Tai-Mali skipped over, grinning brightly at her. Azula stared at her for a moment, not sure whether to be annoyed or totally shocked by her sudden stroke of luck. Tai-Mali blinked at her and was not certain how to take Azula's reaction. She remained smiling, adding, "Taking a walk-how nice! Was it nice?"

Surprised by the flighty woman's new attitude towards her, Azula took a moment to actually reply. "Sure." _If by nice, you mean I enjoyed almost getting in a fight with some ass, then sure!_ She bit her tongue to make sure she didn't roll her eyes, and she headed into the hallway.

But then she stopped and returned to Tai-Mali, who wasn't ready for a prolonged conversation with Azula. Tai-Mali, suddenly red in the face, turned around, meeting Azula's gaze. She gave Azula a bug eyed look and a questioning gaze, now getting that Azula wanted to talk some more. Although in her defense, it was not such a common thing to get from Azula. She nodded to her, addressing for Azula to ask what was on her mind. Azula grabbed her by the shoulder, which only made Tai-Mali pale and look ready to pass out. Grateful that she didn't, Azula pointed beyond her shoulder and toward her room.

"That hallway. I remember…months ago that I was asking you about it. I'm still waiting for an answer," Azula said, on the verge of demanding if her way was not gotten.

"Oh, Azula," said Tai-Mali, somewhat exasperated, "I shouldn't tell you. It's quite boring, and…and…"

"And?" Azula interrupted as Tai-Mali trailed off. This time, she wasn't letting Tai-Mali get away easily. "I'm not leaving without something, Tai-Mali, just to be clear."

Tai-Mali's lips pursed, but then she sighed. Azula grinned as Tai-Mali opened Azula's bedroom door and followed Azula in. Tai-Mali peered through the hallway in a paranoid way before closing the door. Azula sat in her bed. Tai-Mali turned and faced Azula, the fear that Azula remembered from her crazy days returning.

"Please, Azula, I really should be returning to my work…" Tai-Mali tried to pull off.

Azula's eyebrow jumped, a reaction good enough to show that Tai-Mali's pathetic excuse wouldn't work. The nurse sighed again, but more heavily and in defeat. She walked over and stood at the end of the bed. "What is it you want to know? No, why do you want to know? Why do you care?"

"Because I want to. I don't think I need to explain anything to someone-or anyone-now tell me! What's the story you said this hallway was-if there even is one or you were just being creepy?"

"There is one!" Tai-Mali shouted defensively. But shyness crept in her and she quieted her voice. "Well…it is believed to be…ha-haunted," she answered slowly, not making eye contact with Azula.

Azula's eyes popped open with huge interest. "Haunted how? Did something happen?"

Tai-Mali bit her lip, tentative. "…Yes. You see, a few years ago-two, three years, maybe four-there was a young girl who was here at Yun Ko. I wasn't her nurse, so I didn't know what happened to her exactly or how she ended up there. She lived in this hallway for nine months-close to a year. She always gave people trouble and never seemed to be able to keep a hold of herself. She never got any progress; she was always forced into her room-couldn't even go outside for fresh air because someone was afraid she'd try to escape.

"But then she died. I have no idea how she did, but she did. She was still pretty young-maybe younger than you, but not too much. No one cared, though, not even the nurses. They thought it was great that such a demon was gone from this place.

"Since then, though, people have disappeared in this hallway. Always in here. Suicides, someone killing them, or just plain disappearances. Some saw it as a coincidence, but, then again, it's too weird, you know? It's like, the little girl still haunts this place. You were put in here, Azula, but not because of this haunting. You were, you know, just put in there. But it doesn't matter." Tai-Mali gave her a worried, serious look. "You…you need to be careful. You never know what will happen."

After a moment, the air was silent. Azula was waiting for a longer part of her story, or something better. But after a minute, she knew Tai-Mali was done. And she was disappointed. She sighed. "What?" asked Tai-Mali.

"That's it? Really? I was hoping for something more mysterious, really. What a waste of my time. You can go," said Azula, hardly taking a glance at Tai-Mali. She watched an imaginary clock in her mind tick forward, spinning rapidly in full circles hundreds of times a second, symbolizing the time she had wasted prying information from the woman.

Tai-Mali's eyes bugged out and she pouted. The new fury in her voice mixed oddly with her childish, high voice. "Waste of your time? Azula, you asked for something, and I said the truth! This place can be scary, especially in the time of the young child's death-which is in a month. Then so many people lose their lives. It isn't a waste of your time; I'm warning you!"

"If I hadn't asked, you'd never tell me. My next question is why wouldn't you?" Azula probed, cornering Tai-Mali against a wall, right beside the door. She kept her stance straight and proud, not even tilting the slightest. This, she was proud of.

"The doctors feared of getting sued for using the hallway if such tales are true-but we have to. It's large, and we have too many patients as it is. Last week, we had to ship half a dozen to Ash Wen, we had too many. But either way, you can't escape what might happen, Azula. Whatever happens, don't try to find out. Who knows what…what the spirit might try to do?"

Azula laughed again, and Tai-Mali flinched. "Please! A spirit? Killing people and making them disappear? Don't be ridiculous! Some spirit…of a little girl! Nothing so vicious about that." There wasn't anything suspicious about that. She made a big deal out of nothing. It was a waste of time, no matter what Tai-Mali was begging against.

Tai-Mali gritted her teeth and pushed Azula back. Azula raised a fist, but the voice returned, hardly audible in her mind. It echoed the words from the fight with Takeo. Don't waste your time. She put it down and twisted her back so it would face the nurse.

"You can go now. Go away. We're done with this," Azula sneered.

There was no reply, no other sound; except that of Tai-Mali's white shoes taking a few steps toward the door and the door opening and closing. And Azula was alone again.

In the few moments boredom overcame the room, she heard voices outside talking-more like shouting. She formed their voices-well, one-with the bodies instantly. There was also another she couldn't depict. Either way, she knew one and felt her curiosity grow. She kneeled down and went to her door. A creak echoed in her ears and she pulled the door hardly ajar, just enough for her to see the faces the voices belonged to.

Sure enough, Takeo was talking amongst them. There was also the girl who helped Azula, and a lanky doctor that forced the two into the hallway. No one took notice of their eavesdropper.

"So get into your rooms now! I tried talking to you two to make up, but that isn't going to work. I'll have your doctor talk to you about this tomorrow, Lya," said the doctor sternly, arms folded in front of his chest. He glared at Takeo. "And, you, I'll speak to in an hour. Just get your act together in the meantime!"

"C'mon, Yoi, this bitch started this fight, not me!" Takeo defended.

"Oh, please, you were bad-mouthing her AND you pushed her. In both ways, you attacked her first," the girl called Lya said harshly. But she still looked traumatized, like she would burst into tears in any minute.

"And what made you attack? Just a psychopath that wanted to take a hit at me when she could?" Takeo taunted.

"Yes! You were trying to hit a girl when she had her back turned. That's so cowardly and pathetic. So I decided to help her," said Lya.

"Enough," shouted the doctor. Azula noticed a large soldier in armor standing behind them. Apparently, their fight caused them to bring in the guard in case any more swings were struck. "Rooms. Now."

Azula suddenly grew grateful of Dr. Kiko; he had the patience this doctor lacked so much. She knew she would not get along well with this one; at least, less than Dr. Kiko. But she saw Takeo and Lya heading deeper into the hallway, and she heard doors close. The lanky doctor turned to the larger guard and covered his face in his hands. After a moment, Azula was simply staring at a door across from her.

"Having fun eavesdropping?"

Azula looked up to see Takeo staring down at her. She couldn't indicate whether his expression was full of anger or amusement. She grinned, catching a remark in less than a second, replying simply, "Oh, please, why would I pay attention to the likes of you?"

"Don't pretend you didn't hear my doctor talk to me and Lya. You seem pretty interested, anyway," Takeo said.

Azula straightened herself, dodging his interrogation. "What about my warning don't you understand? Stay out of my face!" she shouted before slamming the door in the boy's face. She went to the window and wished she could open them to get a breath of air. Instead, she stared out of what she could see, her temper begging to flare for just a moment. But she inhaled and exhaled so deeply, she could hear herself loudly. Just relax...

She heard a door slam a few moments later. Takeo must've finally left. _Good!_ She thought, glaring over her shoulder at the door she last saw him. Then… _Is it?_

_Of course it is!_ Azula countered herself silently. _I did nothing, and he was being totally immature about it. I get him back eventually. He'll regret trying to take a swing at me…_


	9. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Avatar: the Last Airbender. I only own this story that I wrote.

Chapter Eight

Deeper Down

Another week passed, and Azula felt proud. She promised at least not to blow anyone up or kill them. And that promised was taken and actually used. That was better than her lack of progress months ago. Even Dr. Kiko noticed. So by the second week, Dr. Kiko asked in a nurse to put her name on a list. Azula peeked into it, curiosity taking over for the slightest moment. She thought that that although it wasn't a short list, it must've meant something.

So she asked, and Dr. Kiko beamed. "You've been doing quite well. And those who are starting to get better, we believe, deserve fresh air in the afternoons. And that's what we do. Sure, there are guards hiding around, but at least they can go outside for an hour or so."

Azula was a bit amused. "So you actually trust these crazy people enough to let them go outside roaming free-or, at least a bit more free? God, that's…" Her voice trailed away, and she turned back to Dr. Kiko.

"Yes. Because if they trust us, those who deserve it, they'll get back onto the path to be able to leave Yun Ko," he answered, with raised eyebrows.

"So, if you want, you can head out for some air in a few hours. Just tell the nurse outside your name and she will allow you around. But don't think of doing anything," he continued.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Azula resisted rolling her eyes and bursting out with laughter.

The afternoon came, and Azula's patience was lost. She didn't know the time but hoped it was the correct one. She walked, nearly ran, outside and down a few staircases. A few guards gave her a wary look but did nothing. She felt triumphant but did not reveal it.

At the counter, she had a feeling to just go outside, but the minute a voice interrupted her, she grimaced and peered beyond her shoulder and at the man at the counter. The man glared at her, gesturing her to come to the counter.

"Has your doctor allowed you to go outside? I need your doctor's name and your name," said the man.

"I'm Azula. My doctor's name is Kiko. His last name anyway," Azula replied quickly.

The man's blank face surprised her, but she felt elated that at least one person was unaware of just who she was. That or they didn't feel the fear many felt when around her. The man checked a piece of parchment, scanning her name and Dr. Kiko's, and nodded a few moments later, accepting her name and allowing her outside. Azula smirked and headed outside.

Azula felt a first surge of air enter her lungs and breathed it in like she was a thirsty person getting a drink of water for the first time in four days. It, too, was something she caved, the soft wind of fresh air being sucked into her lungs.

She took steps deeper into the forest but stopped when she saw someone that caught her breath.

Takeo was strolling into the forest, no, through it. He was gone in no time.

"I thought you couldn't go too deep into the forest!" Azula nearly shouted, feeling cheated. If one guy can go far into the forest, why can't she? She felt trapped again, the air pressing against her like she was crushed against a box.

"That's Takeo," the woman replied calmly. "He goes to this place every other afternoon. It means something to him and usually calms him, especially when he's in one of his moods. His doctor allows him to go there because it helps a little."

"Can I go, too?" She couldn't believe she was asking this, but still didn't regret it. She wanted to see how Takeo was so special, and what it was that made him feel better. Maybe it could help her. "I'm his friend," she lied easily.

The woman gave her a skeptical look. "Alright…well, I guess he wouldn't mind company. But I expect both of you back in an hour, and don't try to start some fight! We have guards surround the place, but we don't even want to hear about fighting there!" she pointed out harshly.

Azula nodded, but hurried to stop have the woman accusing her.

Even if she did fight Takeo, perhaps she'd try to make it someplace vacant except the two of them.

She peeked through trees and hid behind them as she followed Takeo through his walk. He never saw her, never heard her…or at least he pretended he didn't. She was surprised by her sneakiness, sneaking around to follow a guy, but thought it wasn't for the guy. She just wanted to see this place…that was it.

And then the trees disappeared, one-by-one, and Takeo disappeared once more.

Azula began to run but stopped once she saw that he didn't fall or disappear, but rather ended up on a beach.

The beach was quiet, the waves hardly making a sound even as they crashed onto shore. The sand was pale and sunk Takeo's feet in when he jumped onto it. The seas were a pure blue that brightened as the sun glared above it. The skies were painted a calm and simple blue. It was a nice scenery compared to the walls of Yun Ko.

Only Takeo and Azula were the ones in the area (except maybe for some hiding, lurking soldiers in the trees). It was oh so quiet, the drifting winds so calm beside her she, for the quickest second, felt serene.

Before Azula could observe the beach more, a voice welcomed her and caught her off guard. "Nice place, isn't it?" it said very sarcastically.

Azula was about to respond when her foot was caught into the air. She made no sound, not wanting more attention-although even in her silence, it wouldn't matter-as she plummeted into a few feet of a short yet steep end of the grassy sidewalk.

Yet she caught herself easily. Despite her fall, her agile abilities she gained from being around Ty Lee had stayed and was apparently useless in this case. Her feet caught into the sand and she straightened up, tossing her hair from her face with a confident face.

Takeo rolled his eyes. "Smooth," he muttered as he turned back toward the sea. But then he whirled around again, now quite confused. "What are you doing here? I want to be alone, go away!"

"How come you can go out here when I couldn't? I can't even get halfway without some ridiculous guards stopping me. What makes you so special?"

"That's why you followed me here?"

Yeah, that's the reason you followed him for real, Azula. Keep telling yourself that…but that WAS why, of course! Why else? She stopped herself from prolonging her fight with herself, something that she never thought she'd do, and nodded sharply at Takeo, who seemed bemused by her presence. "So what makes you so special to walk around?" she asked again, dodging his question.

Takeo didn't respond, much to Azula's annoyance. Instead, the boy walked away and deeper into the beach. Demanding an answer and impatient with his silence, Azula followed Takeo.

But her feet dragged into the sand as they fell into step with Takeo's movements. Again, Takeo was silent and had a blank face that made Azula unsure what he thought of her around him. They walked with silence, not glancing at one another. Takeo hurried his steps instantly, and Azula looked up from the sand.

What Azula thought would be a dead end of the beach was where a small hut was placed. It was too small for many people to occupy, only one room maybe, and had no doors or windows. It wasn't even made of fancy material or something anyone uses for their houses. Perhaps some bark tied with rope made the place transform into a hut.

Takeo entered it and gave the place a long, thoughtful look. Azula tentatively copied Takeo, stepping toward the place but not sure why they were there. She could find it in her to break the silence and ask, though.

Inside, Azula saw the burns and marks of previous fires blaze the walls and most of the things that were left in there. But the burns proved that this wasn't exactly last week, but not too far into the past. The few things that hadn't grown into ashes or turned pure black Azula took a look at.

The only furniture in the room, a green couch, was half scorched, but Takeo took a seat on the better side. A bookshelf that was squished into the back was destroyed with all its books gone. There was nothing else remaining in the strange hut…except a picture.

Azula passed Takeo, who saw her presence and glared behind her back. She didn't pay attention and instead turned over to a picture hanging on the wall. It was painted in black, with no colors. Five people either stood or sat in a group, close together and smiling.

What Azula guessed was the mother was standing in a chair, and the father was sitting beside a tall young boy, whose posture indicated his aura of overconfidence and pride. It was unbelievably familiar, despite how little she knew him…

When Azula looked over again at Takeo, he was off the couch. Instead, he leaned against the wall. He gave Azula a wry smile. "Whatever you're thinking-no, it's not my house."

Azula grinned, commenting, "I wasn't going to say that…this place is too fancy for someone like you."

She expected a bit of a lash out from the guy, but his reaction was far from her expectations. He rolled his eyes and sighed, but kept his distance. Azula gave him a raised eyebrow but he did nothing.

She was confused when she found him speaking, but in a low and calm tone. "This use to be a place my family and I hung around a few years back. It was just a place my dad and I made for us to talk and relax when we came to this beach. Yun Ko was made a year after we started coming, so I never expected to end up in there."

"And…how did you end up in there? Yun Ko?" Azula asked without warning; even toward herself. How she became interested in his story, she couldn't tell. But she felt something inside her-curiosity?-as she saw Takeo speak and tell her his story. It was like being Dr. Kiko, listening to the pain of a patient in Yun Ko. It was better than being the patient.

Takeo didn't reply, and stared at his feet, which shifted through the silence. Azula pursed her lips, wondering if he'd finally take a shot at her and attack, when she asked something personal. She could tell she took it a bit too far. Takeo peered over his shoulder and beyond the sea, and Azula saw a shimmer in his eyes, and she was curious as to why. She felt that asking would be stupid and waited for his response.

Finally, her unbelievable surge of patience that lingered into a minute was paid off. Takeo said, "Oh, well, it was, what, eight months ago. The asylum was pretty creepy to me, especially since it wasn't too far from, you know, this place. It was damn weird, right? While Mika and Lynn-my sisters-would make sandcastles and mom would read a book and dad would try to talk to me, I was distracted by the place. I didn't like how it seemed to haunt us. I mean, an asylum by a beach-I wasn't exactly a fan of having a place full of crazy people just a few yards.

"So I yell at my dad to get the doctors at the place to make it move somewhere else. But my dad wasn't paying attention and just didn't care. By the next time we were there, I saw…"

Azula went over to him and saw his face become pale. She prompted him for more, suddenly craving information. Takeo bit his lip but continued, almost stammering, "That night, as we were leaving, I saw something. In the forest, in the trees. I didn't tell anyone, went into the forest to see what it was. It was…like a dead body. The person killed themselves with a knife right into their head, and two marks were already in their chest. Blood was everywhere around that person. Scared the hell out of me.

"But I didn't tell anyone. Not even those doctors. They found the person on their own. My parents never found out…and then I started to lose it. By next week, I…I burned down my house and killed my own father through my firebending."

Azula was even horrified as the story went on. She knew she was close to killing her brother and even the Water Tribe girl, only she never did. Takeo succeeded, and did worse damage, even destroying a place he went to every day just to find comfort. "I don't really see how coming here would make you feel better," Azula commented.

Of all the things that could have angered him, she had no idea what she just said would. Takeo, arms folded, gritted his teeth and cursed loudly. "Of course you wouldn't…now get the hell out!" he said through his teeth, pointing toward the doorway.

Azula rolled her eyes. "Wow, you're quite temperamental," she muttered jokingly as she left. She kept her eyes over her shoulder in case he tried to attack her while she was not looking.

Nothing came. She turned again and saw that Takeo returned to his seem, his face contorted with rage, but still, he remained still even while Azula was not looking.

"Men," she spat, rolling her eyes, as she left the beach and headed back to Yun Ko.

"Is Takeo alright?" the nurse at the door asked, a guard standing beside her, both of them suspicious.

"Just peachy," Azula replied without as much as a glance toward the woman's way.


	10. Chapter Nine

Of course, I had a reason I changed a few things about the summary. Especially the genre. This chapter shall help that slightly.

Chapter Nine

Crossing Paths of the Unexpected

A few days passed when Azula's greed to escape her room once more got to her. Her stomach growled, and she slightly regretted ignoring the breakfast this morning. She was only being rebellious toward the nurses, but now she was hungry. Could she really wait several hours-?

She could not even finish her thoughts before her patience cracked and she was on her feet and out the door in a flash. She attempted to make it so casual that no nurse would attempt to follow her or take her to her destination. Already, it was a tiring thing they did. It was so different than the servants at the palace; they came and left as you pleased, not as they pleased.

So when Tai-Mali crossed paths with her and the woman's eyes bulged, Azula hoped that the woman would ignore her. But Azula was aware that the woman's reactions were towards her, unfortunately for Azula. A break was never given to her when Tai-Mali was around. The small, annoying woman skipped over to her. "Oh, Azula. Good to see you're awake. But where are you going without a nurse to follow you?" she asked, clearly displeased with Azula for the strangest of reasons Azula could not get.

"Do I really need a chaperone for everything?" Azula asked impatiently. Her nostrils flared, and she added, "I'm just going to the cafeteria downstairs. Or will I get in trouble for walking down some stairs?"

Tai-Mali's cheeks flushed, and the woman appeared agitated. "Alright," she gave in easily with slight exasperation. But she gave Azula a puckered-lipped face. "But I'd like to take you down. While Dr. Kiko allows you to go outside, I still don't trust you going around like this." the woman added with her eyebrows cocked.

Azula gave her a skeptical look. Trust? _Of all this, I don't care about your trust_, she thought but instead said, "Well, you should trust the doctors around here, since they probably are your boss. And if my doctor believes I can go around a bit shouldn't be too much. Or, what, you're doubting your boss? Hope that doesn't slip…" She smirked.

Tai-Mali's mouth gaped. "Oh, fine! But I'm keeping my eye on you, Azula!" And she stomped away.

_Can some people ever get off my back_? Azula thought. She walked down the stairs, watching Tai-Mali until she was no longer out of sight. The woman was talking to herself, growing more flustered by the moment. Azula went down the stairs once the woman disappeared behind a corner.

The cafeteria, on the first floor and on the left of the building, was indeed small, only half a dozen tables scattered across the room. Most of them weren't even filled, though some were filled by three or two or even one at a time, usually by the loners with no friends.

When Azula looked around, she grimaced as something hit her. Oh, yeah, I'm one of those now. Great.

No one acknowledged Azula's presence in the room, all of them eating, talking to themselves, or talking to another person. Only one table was empty entirely without a soul around, and Azula thought it was best to sit there for now. Bringing herself up to a table would only make her feel like one of those desperate people without a friend.

_That's still true, you know_, she reminded herself darkly as she went to find something to eat.

When she did, she found the first table that was empty and was best for her right now. She ran right up to it, feeling paranoid as she felt eyes all around her.

But there was nothing. No one cared about her. No one paid attention to her.

She just had no idea what to feel about this. The attention she always received as a member to a royal family-she was never sure how to deal without it. Every day, every little thing, she had servants and guards encircling her and being there just for her and her family. Now, she was on her own, alone. Perhaps she'd grow out of it. …Or not.

She stared at her tray, for a few moments receiving images of a long time ago. How did she find herself remembering how her mother always scorned her for playing with her food…or hitting Zuko with it? She hadn't a clue. But still, her mother was never pleased with her. She pushed it an inch away, suddenly losing her appetite.

"May I sit with you?"

Azula looked up, wondering if that voice was even addressing her.

Yet there _was_ someone standing above her, the girl's eyes watching Azula for a reaction or an answer. At first, Azula wasn't even sure who it was. But she caught the girl's identity quickly. "And why would I care? I don't know you," she added.

Lya, the girl who had fought with Takeo a while back whilst also assisting Azula against him, looked taken aback, but replied, "Oh, I'm the girl who helped you against Takeo a while ago. You-you had your b-back turned, an-and he was trying to hit you, and I stopped him. Well-other than that, I guess we barely know each other."

"Yes," Azula said. Then she added with a grin, "I don't remember you at all."

Lya's eyes grew. She sighed, composing herself. "Well, I remember how you stood up to Takeo-something no one ever did. That guy's nuts, and he's pretty strong and pretty tough." She saw Azula's silence as an invitation and sat down.

Azula let this go, and instead paid attention to what she was saying. "And the point of this conversation is…?" Azula asked, her voice trailing off for Lya's answer; if she had one.

"I'm saying that I just think you're really brave for standing up to Takeo, and I appreciate that someone tries. In fact, you were so tough, but then…you stopped." Lya looked at her with curiousness in her eyes. "Why? It was so weird to see you stop like that-usually someone would just attack and finish!"

"So I stopped myself from scarring someone horribly…where's my medal?" she asked dully.

Lya smiled a little. "There's no medal, of course," she said, not catching Azula's sarcasm. She paused. "But so many people probably appreciate what you did. Maybe Takeo will stop acting like such a jerk," she added with a smile.

"I dunno," Azula mused, now hardly paying attention to her.

"He wasn't always like this, Takeo," she added with wide eyes deeply boring into Azula's to prove her sincerity. "He used to be nice."

Lya stopped talking, knowing that in Azula's silence was her opinion of the subject: Takeo was something she did not want to discuss, especially not to some strange girl. And the mere mention of Takeo-acting like a decent human being? Ha!-was beyond infuriating for Azula. She did not like the feeling in her body when they crossed paths; it was completely bemusing, so she decided trying to be nice to him would only make it worsen for her. Lya started poking her food, and eating it once in a while. They ate their lunch in silence.

Azula noticed much later when Lya pressed her lips together and released them very hesitantly, words ready to form any second. Whatever she wanted to speak of was nerve-wracking for her, so Azula had a strange urge to listen. "So…I'll be honest." Lya once again held back, biting her lip and glancing above at the lifeless walls of a messy white. Then it pretty much was blurted out, complicated for Azula to at first comprehend any of her words. "I don't…really know who exactly you are."

"Really?" Azula found herself sucked into the conversation then, highly interested and curious. She was actually more shocked than livid.

Lya shyness lingered, a slight pink blush added in. "Yes. Sorry, it's just that I don't exactly know people very well. I've been in here since I was a kid," she told her quietly.

Azula nodded, only if a story of Lya's backstory was brought up, she planned on escaping. She heard enough from Takeo, and she didn't want what would certainly be another depressing, emotionally and mentally scarring story.

But Azula saw the problem, at least one she considered. If she was a child in here, how much could she know about the royalty of the Fire Nation? Did this girl even know about the end of the war this summer? Azula doubted it. "Well, I'm Azula. I'm the Firelord-the last Firelord's daughter." Her beginning words stung her tongue sharply. She pushed the pain aside.

Lya's head snapped up in a sudden grasp of attention, and her mouth was turned into a circle of surprise-possibly horror. Azula then knew that she caught the girl on the spot, and that something clicked in the latter's mind. "Wow! I didn't know that! Gosh, I'm…oh, wow. I mean, I heard of the ex-Princess, but I never knew what she looked like! I heard people say, 'It's only been a matter of time.' 'Looks like little Azula's finally cracked. I knew it," the girl spewed out too many sentences in a second for Azula to keep up. It was as if she were at school, behind a table of gossipers who spoke twenty million words a minute. "I had no idea who they were talking about aside from that name."

"Whatever," Azula replied, getting up. Her tray was empty, and the little she ate felt like cardboard in her stomach. She didn't like being mentioned like a new gossiped object-especially when it's about her being in this place.

Lya got up, too, suddenly astonished. "Oh, please don't hate me, Azula! I had no idea, really!" she almost screeched into Azula's face.

"No, it's fine!" Azula replied through her teeth. There was no anger, just frustration at the desperation she heard in the girl's voice. Pathetic. "I don't care, really."

"I just-oh, Azula, please hold on!" Lya pleaded.

Lya sighed, turning away. But then she gazed back to Azula. Her expression became very serious, so Azula decided to stay put in case this girl had some potential in her words. "You know some people in here go crazy for a reason, and it can't be stopped?"

Azula shook her head. She had no clue where this was going, and she also had a feeling she did not wish to. But her feet were sunk into the floor, with no means of leaving possible right now.

Lya gulped, dismay making her eyes glow with tears ready to fall. "Someone could go mad when they see someone they love die, or because of their past. But there are other reasons-some hardly anyone can relate to," she whispered, tears streaming her face.

This was becoming unbelievable strange, how much had changed in the child's emotions. "What are you talking about?" Azula said, though something came into her mind once she spoke up. Whatever Lya was going through, however Lya ended up in here, was obviously tough and painful. And hard to get away from.

"And people think there's no hope for some people-like me. It's like that demon inside me will never go away. But-I want to have some hope. I don't know how," Lya went on. "Just…"

Lya stopped, suddenly screaming through her tears. Her hands crushed into her face, which made Azula jump back in complete confusion and shock. Lya was on her knees for the shortest of seconds, but she got back onto her feet again just as quickly as she knelt to the floor.

Lya burst through the hallway, still in tears. She pushed Azula in the way and onto the wall. She gasped but decided not to chase her down; not when Lya already had a deep lead into the darkened hallway. She gave the girl's back an incredulous look.

Azula looked into the cafeteria. Except for the small guy of Takeo's group and the tiny girl from her first day, it was full of staring strangers. Some were terrified by Lya's puzzling reaction. Some were confused. Some were even giggling.

Azula wasn't sure just what to do.

She looked through the hallway Lya ran through. The girl was already gone.

Minutes passed when Azula stared into her spot. Then Dr. Kiko came out, writing onto a piece of parchment. She was too baffled to care just what her doctor would say. She needed to speak to someone, her mind racing too quickly for confliction to force her stubbornness into her. She ran up to him and demanded, "Do you know a girl named Lya?"

"Lya?"

This was going nowhere. "Some girl. Probably thirteen. Dark hair-she ran through that hallway screaming and crying. She was talking to me about what she was going through or something. It was completely strange. So…what's her problem?"

Dr. Kiko's eyebrows rose through his glasses, uncertainty in his eyes. "Well, um…I know Dr. Maho probably won't want me to say anything, but I don't know. It's hard for him, you see. She's hard. But…she's seemed to grow to you, Azula. After that scene with Takeo, you're probably a bit of..inspiration for her in a way."

Azula's hands met her hips. She did like how she had one idol, though it seemed crazy. "How? I barely know her, and she wasn't even aware of who I was until I informed her," she explained.

Kiko shrugged. "What you did that seemed to catch her attention was probably as far as she'll get to have some inspiration."

And Azula still hadn't gotten her previous question answered, so she dropped the current subject to have her greed for answers disappear. "Okay, thanks. Well, can I know what her problem is? She really seemed traumatized by it, and she almost told me-probably. It was unclear," she said.

Dr. Kiko sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I dunno, Azula. I just can't tell a patient something about another patient. …But maybe you can make a deal."

"What kind?" Azula asked, arms crossed.

"Watch over Lya. Anytime you can, just watch what she does and how she acts," Dr. Kiko explained closely to her face and in a whisper.

Azula pondered this for a moment. "What's in it for me?" she demanded harshly, not ready to accept the deal.

"It might help you out of Yun Ko. You'd be helping a patient, so it proves how well you've been doing," said Dr. Kiko, hardly glancing at her, but Azula saw the sincerity of his words in his eyes. "It sounds odd, but it has happened…once in a blue moon, but it has still happened."

A strike of hope made her hardened expression weaken to reveal the tiniest of excitement and acceptance. A second later, though, Azula rolled her eyes, masking her newfound shock, but she sighed in defeat. Getting out of the asylum...just for helping the doctors about Lya. It seemed almost too perfect. Would this be easy or not? And was this even for real?

She could not deny it, the plausible deal thrown out at her. Anything to get her out of this place. "Fine. So, what's with the girl?"

Dr. Kiko gave her a dead, cold look that would have haunted her nightmares, especially coming from a usual calm, upbeat man. "Lya's been in this place for quite some time because…because she believes to see dead people."


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Skepticism vs. the Truth

Azula found herself amused by Dr. Kiko's response. A sixth sense? She almost laughed. "Really? Are you sure? That doesn't sound quite so bad…at least, not so bad enough to get worked over," she added upon seeing Dr. Kiko's shocked face, staring at her with a strange worry in his dark eyes.

"Not if you were, I'd say, seven years old," Dr. Kiko responded, breaking the shock away from his expression rather quickly. "And it's not the usual 'people seeing ghosts' scenario. Some children just say they see people who are supposed to be dead walking like normal people. But Lya-she sees very dark things; I never thought I'd hear a child speaking of severed limbs and blood and organs out of one's body. And some things she say-and the way she says them-can be very haunting from such a young face." He paused for a slight shiver. Azula did not react like he did; only waited. "Sometimes, I'm sure she just makes it up for attention, but…" His sentence was cut off more and more, only silence by the end.

"So do you believe her _at all_?" Azula asked, hands on her hips. In fact, she was skeptical herself.

Dr. Kiko nodded. "Yes. She's said some things that make me certain of it. And…she's become really worried about something."

Azula tried to catch something in his voice, his eyes, to give away a masked sensation of lying, that all of this was a mere trick. But Azula detected nothing. "And you don't know what that is," Azula said. It was not a question.

"Yes. She won't tell any of us doctors. She hardly mutters a word to us anymore since she became older and wiser…and more aware of these doctors. But we were guessing you could help us. She's the only one she's actually talked to for even a little bit-better than nothing," Dr. Kiko told her. "We're thinking you could get this something out of her."

This hardly made any sense. Somehow this girl idolized Azula in a way, and because of so, Azula had a ticket to leaving. Azula saw it all as _manipulation_, an idea that made her almost smirk. It was like so long ago, when she ruled over everyone else. She nodded and turned back. Without another word spoken, she heard Dr. Kiko disappear into another hallway.

She went up the stairs; after what just happened, time in her room was what she had on her mind, to clear her mind.

She was trying just to accept this fact. But she could not get it entirely straightened. She had her skeptical moments, and this was one of them. She never believed any ghost stories, not even the ones her mother told her when Azula requested a "scary story just for the fun of it;" those weren't scary at all, not even fun.

So ghost stories were nothing more than stories to her. That was it. Ghosts could not exist, and ghosts couldn't visit people who had a sixth sense. People did not have a sixth sense-impossible. The idea was insane enough.

But would she really let her skepticism get in the way of Dr. Kiko's promise?

She was still fighting with this internal conflict as she headed up the stairs. As she went up, someone bumped into her, and they didn't do anything in response. She saw his face through the corner of her eyes, and an idea struck. But wait…

What was strong: her craving for vengeance, no matter what the cause for it, no matter how little, or her obsession for freedom?

Azula rushed over to Takeo's side, taking his sleeve in a forceful grip. Takeo twisted around with his fists out to strike. She almost grinned; if he really wanted a fight, she would not hesitate this time. She would attack. She thought about how a while back, he tried to attack her while she was distracted and unknowing of his attacking, not to mention how close he came to fighting her at the beach. And she did not even have the chance to attack him too harshly; one swing would not be too bad, right? It would certainly be a good laugh for her.

"Oh, what do you want?" Takeo asked, putting his fists at his sides and relaxing his muscles.

She exhaled loudly and asked, remaining grinning, "I have a few questions, and perhaps you could answer them for me."

"Why should I?" he said with a humorless smirk.

Azula expected nothing less. And of course, she had a plan. "It would sure be nice of you," she said with feigned kindness. There was a pause. "And I do tend to get my way in the end, so I'd like to just…get to that part without so much fuss. Don't you?"

Takeo's mouth formed a straight line, his face contorted slightly, a familiar face she remembered from her brother whenever it was clear she won whatever game they were playing as kids. It was a face she liked to see on those she despised. "Fine. Shoot," he said curtly.

Azula nodded victoriously. "Great. So what do you know about Lya?" She remembered what Lya said about Takeo, but doubted it once she really pondered it. Had Lya really known Takeo?

Takeo shrugged, not questioning her reasons for asking. "I met her when I first came here. Strangely enough, she was the kindest person in this place. Like, she wanted a friend with the new guy. She seemed to want to, anyway, so I decided to just…hang with her.

"She was always…weird, though. She was always fidgety and freaked out at random times. I didn't have any idea until, say, four months ago, about what was really up with her. I pretty much forced her to tell me that…well…" His voice disappeared into the air, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "What you said."

"So you believe her when she tells you she sees dead people?" Azula asked, again dubious.

He nodded, though giving her a puzzled look. "I highly doubt she'd lie about somethin' like that. Something about her just says she wouldn't do that," he replied, only to give her disappointment. He paused, then gave her a knowing look. "So she told you, too?"

"No, actually, my doctor told me-and if I help, he'll consider letting me go," she added in just to hear the words come from her mouth; it tasted so sweet as if it gingerly kissed her mouth. Especially if she got to rub it in Takeo's face. She pushed aside her anti-belief, in fear it would just cause fun for Takeo to poke at her for.

The boy's eyebrows rose to his forehead. "That's stupid."

"Not for me." She smirked.

He would have countered more, but gave up. "Man, if only it was that easy-and why you? What makes you special?" he asked.

"He says I could help," she said simply.

"Maybe I could help her, too," Takeo said quickly, much to Azula's surprise. She glared up at him as a gesture for an answer. "Maybe I could help her and get out…and get it before you. It'll be easy; I don't try to scare or intimidate people for fun."

"You're making...a challenge?" Azula asked, though already aware of the answer. And her smirk was her reply to his request. She appreciated challenges in life; even if they were easy.

Takeo smirked back. "I'm not making lunch," he commented.

Azula laughed hoarsely and lifelessly, with no humor in her tone. "Okay, you got me to laugh. So let's see who can find out with Dr. Kiko wants-see if you can get something out of her like you did to me," she said with sarcasm dripping from her tone.

Somehow, unknowingly, they found themselves in the hallway of their bedrooms. Azula thought about slamming the door before any more words exchanged. But then something clicked into her head. She turned around and look at Takeo, who caught her glance and flashed her a questioning look. _Why not? Just once for fun; I haven't done it in quite a while._

With no huge reason whatsoever, she raised her hand, curling into a fist. He was too slow to understand what was occurring. Flames were not necessary, and she landed her knuckles into Takeo's face. He recoiled and was taken aback, sulking into the wall a few feet away. It was such a shame that he had not tried to fight back, and had taken such a harsh reaction at it.

She chuckled at his easy defeat. "Remember that time I stopped beating you up? Well, I'm over that, so I wanted to get it over with."

She was in her room, holding a grasp for a few moments in case he'd try to burst into her room. But it was all absolutely quiet, a sure sign that he was not trying to come back. Maybe he knew he deserved it-if he kept grudges as much as she did. Words kept on chanting in her mind: _It is on!_

**A note: I shall be gone for a week, for I'll be vacationing in Florida. I'll be going on Sunday right in the morning. But with the boring plane ride, I might be able to keep writing, though no updates will be made at least until that Sunday obviously since I will have left. But I will post the next chapter just before I leave so I feel that I'll keep you all updated somehow.**


	12. Chapter Eleven

**As promised, here's the next chapter. :)**

Chapter Eleven

A Cold Awakening

How she suddenly found herself in a race to help someone just to have freedom was not what she anticipated. She just wanted to get this over with, not with competition. For once, she perhaps regretted acting so snidely and boldly with her words that got her here.

And yet between all of this, she was _still _doubtful, _still _refusing to believe in Lya's newfound story, her apparent gift. Sure, she had words from Dr. Kiko and Takeo, but not from the girl herself.

But if there really was brand-new competition, over something she didn't believe in, she was not about to back down. Such was not what she had in mind. She found herself on her bed, drifting off to sleep very early in the morning. For some reason, exhaustion was pulling her into a black, dreamless nap.

* * *

><p><em>Get out…<em>

There was nothing. Only an ominous, unexplainable darkness that was like a mist; cloudy, with nothing that could be detected deep into the dream. Even if it were vivid, she probably wouldn't be able to see through the black mist. All she could assemble from her dream was a strange voice. She had no way to tell who it sounded like or who it belonged to.

_Don't get closer…you'll only lose everything…you'll just go back to the beginning._

Get the heck out of my mind! She fought with…whatever it was she was fighting with. She mentally saw herself narrowing her eyebrows in impatience, in confusion. She growled and twirled around, begging for an answer or another object in this nightmarish image. But she just got more and more blackness, puzzlement, and it remained so for a long time.

Perhaps that was a nightmarish part of her dream. Her edginess was getting the best of her, boiling her veins and her mind. Her nails dug into her head as her hands clasped her forehead. She tried to keep herself composed, only it was weakening. Her breathing was complicated, and almost tasted like fire…

_Told you._

* * *

><p>She woke up, sharply awakened by the sudden realism that the dream held. She shivered and sat up, ruffling her hair out of some strange reaction.<p>

And that voice? What was that all about? What else weird would she be facing in Yun Ko?

Something clicked in her head. _Oh, yes, Lya._ Momentarily, she forgot the bet-or Dr. Kiko's request, it was mainly previously. She groaned and flipped from her bed and onto her feet. Although it seemed early; she doubted she'd find the girl.

Azula took a look outside, trying to guess the time of day. It was winter, and beside from the light breeze slicing her cheeks, a gray yet bright-compared to the nighttime-sky caught her eyes. So it wasn't so late. Maybe a walk would suffice, and she could get something from Lya if luck was on her side…like it was when she was Princess.

A ticket out of here and being able to shove her victory in Takeo's face-that would be the best prize of all time. Suddenly, being Fire Lord was hardly significant. And her brother was nothing…

She shoved those memories into the back of her head and went to open her door.

A person was already in front of her before she could step out. A person with a down, worried face greeted her with a weak smile.

"What, Lya?" Azula asked, more surprised that Lya was here than angry.

Lya's cheeks blazed before she could reply. Her hands moved as she spoke, very nervously. "I know what you and Takeo-some stupid bet," she muttered, almost spluttering the words.

"Takeo told you?"

Lya nodded solemnly, but stopped and took a moment to deliberate something. "Well-no, not exactly. But he was, like…he just came up to me and asked about-the weirdest-and then I asked him about it," she said and for a moment, Azula thought she's let something out. She did not and went on about Takeo's confrontation. "And he just told me you two made a bet! What's up with that?" she added in a rather hysterical tone.

"You don't need to know, Lya," Azula replied tersely.

"I should," Lya said. "I mean, if I'm suddenly an interest in topic, I should know why I'm being…you know, actually in a topic. …It shouldn't be that hard to say!"

"Like you'd care," Azula began to say as she shut the door.

Lya put a hand on the door with enough force to keep it opened. Through gritted teeth, she said, "I do, actually. Please!" It was a strangled plea that sounded unlike her, more mature and alien.

Azula rolled her eyes, finally caving in. What harm could the truth do? Lying was a waste of time in her book currently. Without any warning, she took Lya's arm in a tight grasp. The girl's eyes grew-if such were possible-and Azula pulled her right into her room.

She did not close the door and instead just forced Lya right by her ear so she could speak in a low tone. "Dr. Kiko told me about that you can speak to gh-"

And very quickly, the girl's emotions shifted almost automatically. Her face fell. "Keep it down, Azula!" Lya cut off acutely, pushing Azula away. Azula took steps back as she clutched her ear; Lya's shout ran right into her ear enough to almost shatter it. Lya's arms clasped around her body, and she crouched close to the floor. Azula gave her a weird look.

"I don't want anyone to know, no one can know. It's just weird, even here! People will never think I'm normal, they'll never believe when I say I can speak to the dead. I just-ahhh!" Lya spoke so quickly, very close to a fetal position, and she started to scream. Only when Azula put a hand on her mouth did she cease her cries of torture.

Azula tried not to think if that was how strange she sounded months ago. It was like a pang in her chest to think about it. Azula saw the girl's expression before the latter buried her face into her hands. And while the girl sobbed, something hit Azula without warning, almost like a light punch to the stomach.

Seeing the pain in the girl's eyes was an ominous reflection of her own. It was most likely how she was in the very beginning, when her mind was not her own but a big black mist of destruction and chaos. It somewhat worried her, but it passed once she came to the present. …But how could she just let this one go so easily when someone helped Azula, but someone could not help Lya? It was odd, but she could not see herself doing that. It was like seeing how she was long ago. Certainly not her personality, though. …She had long black locks that curled to her shoulders, hair that was similar to hers, yet her eyes were a dull gray.

She forced herself down, trying to put a hand on the child's shoulder. She could not, though. Her words would not match her strangely soothing action. "I don't believe you, Lya," she said darkly, her wild hair mirroring her face. She was incapable of seeing the crestfallen girl's expression.

"I don't expect you to," Lya whispered, exasperated. "Hardly anyone does. And if they want me to-to prove it, they regret it."

"How can you prove it?" Azula barked, surprised.

"I sometimes speak to dead loved ones…of those who ask. Sometimes. And the dead ones sometimes talk about their families-even the person who asked. I say something that might prove that I spoke to them, but…I can never say it right," Lya explained with a sigh. "They usually hate me, and they even istill/i don't believe in some cases! It's hard unless you're, say, a sympathetic psychiatrist. …These people" –she gestured at the hallway and the entire building- "I don't count as sympathetic psychiatrists. People with sixth sense don't really come in and stay for so long like I have. I'm just…different."

Azula hesitated, feeling uncomfortable of what may come. But really, how else could she help Lya when she felt that the girl was only speaking lies throughout the time? She sighed and said, "Prove it to me. To me."

"I dunno," Lya hedged, shaking her head worried. "Like I said, sometimes it's not that easy. I might not even know anyone you know."

"Remember," Azula said casually, like it was easy. For Lya, there was a chance it was.

The doubt it her eyes said otherwise. "No, Azula," she groaned, then her eyes snapped up toward the sky. Like she was staring at the ceiling, only she wasn't. "Azula…yes, I have heard of you before. …Do you know a boy named Lu Ten?"

It took less than a moment-maybe half a moment, it was not certain-for it to come to her. An image of a handsome teenager in red and gold armor, with a confident smile and dark yet sweet eyes. The stance and face of an attractive teenage, but he had a very sweet aura around him. He was not forgetful, especially for Azula-she could barely stand him. She never talked or thought about him, even since the notice of his death arrived and was informed of by her mother.

She nodded slowly, bracing for what may come.

"Oh, what, was he your…" Lya attempted to guess, but let her sentence hang for Azula's answer anyway.

"Cousin," she replied curtly. "How do you know his name?" If she barely knew about Azula, how could she know about her uncle's only son-now dead-an apparent change in everything that happened in her life?

"I met him," Lya said as if it was obvious. "But not you think. I saw him a year ago, walking through the forest. He was…lonely. He was searching for something. He said he was looking for someone-oh, I forget who. …But Lu Ten-he came all the way from Ba Sing Se, where he died to find this guy. He was definitely dead, I knew, since he was all bloody, and there was a hole in his chest." Lya pantomimed with a straight face of what was probably a knife, with her cupped hands, directed into where her heart should be.

"What did he say?" Azula challenged her. She had idea this would get nowhere. But some things were haunting. How did she know he had died in Ba Sing Se? And she was so close to knowing about Iroh. Perhaps what she could come up with next would set it all straight, the lies that Lya brought out.

"He says…he's glad his uncle-you know, that was probably the guy-his uncle left the war, since it must've changed him a lot. He is hoping that his uncle could also change his-the uncle's-newphew…and maybe his niece, but…Lu Ten sounded doubtful," she added with a mindless shift of her feet. She did not meet Azula's eyes, which widened in incredulity. Granted, she never paid much attention to Lu Ten, but had he been so spiteful of her enough to never believe she could be anything but crazy?

When Azula did not reply, Lya whispered anxiously, "Azula…you okay?"

"Just…get out," Azula said, and she found herself leaning against the wall, conflicted with Lya's rant, the story she began to believe.

Yes, believe. How else could it feel like that had occurred, like Lu Ten meant those words? When some of those things had actually happened, how that had actually changed Iroh and even Zuko in the end, of course it seemed all too real, all too believable, despite her skepticism. But her mind was running rapidly at the moment, and she needed just a bit of time alone.

"I'm sorry that…if you don't believe," Lya said, misunderstanding Azula's demand, "it's alright. I don't expect you to, really."

"No, that's not it" she said, straightening her body and glaring down at Lya. But her expression lost its hardness and she sighed. "I believe you now-are you happy?"

Lya did not answer her question, but something in her soft expression that welcomed Azula could have worked. "What? You seriously believe that?" she asked with a light chuckle.

"Nothing seems crazy since I came here," Azula replied.

Lya nodded, half dazed. "Yeah," she muttered, her tone matching her drifting expression. But a flicker of something cut across her face, and she gave Azula a raised eyebrow. "So how come your doctor told you about me? That just seems weird."

"It does, but…" Azula's voice disappeared. She could not say why she decided on taking on this task. Then Lya would never speak to her, and nothing could go her way. "Yes, but I won't question it."

Lya smiled, her face lighting up by that simple stretch of her lips. After a pause, she bit her lip and spoke hesitantly, "Okay, so what I want to know is why you and Takeo made a bet about…okay, I also wanna know what you made a bet about. Something 'bout my sixth sense, but there's obviously more to it."

"We just wanted to know some things," Azula said, hoping not to get too much into detail. Her mind closed, though, and she just kept talking. "Like we wanted to know what's always got you so spooked. I mean, shouldn't you be used to ghosts coming around if you know your own gift?"

"There's more to it."

Azula, who was staring at the wall, caught Lya's eyes. She was still on the floor, with Azula standing right at her feet. Her face of seriousness was haunting in a way, and Azula resisted the urge to take a step back. How could Lya just tell? Maybe Azula was more transparent in her lies than she thought? No, not even the blind earthbender friend of the Avatar could tell when she lied. But a lot was different about this girl.

Azula groaned, her hands rising by her hands. "Alright, yeah, there's more. But here's the thing; I don't know what more there is. That's why I need to talk to you, Lya. You have answers my doctor apparently wants, and he wants me to get them out of you. …I must be important to you or something," she added in, just to hear the words come out.

Lya did not become shy or sheepish at this fact. In fact, she replied stiffly, "Yes. I thought you were brave to take down Takeo, and then I knew you were Princess Azula, someone I appreciated a lot, but what is it your doctor wants to know about from me?" she asked, drifting rapidly from their previous subject.

"Whatever spooks you. He's sure something's up." Azula paused, and something clicked in her head. "And you even said a while back that something weird was making you stay here so long. Maybe that's a start. Anything could be helpful."

"I can't."

"Or you won't," Azula said.

Lya shook her head, straightening her position. She put a hand on the doorknob, her fingers struggling to force themselves to turn for the door to open. Azula gave her a shocked look and almost growled. This girl was not helping at all, and it was as if she were not even trying! "Oh, c'mon Lya! Is it really that hard? It shouldn't be.

"It is, Azula. But I cannot say how. It's way too complicated. You-you wouldn't understand," Lya whispered, pulling the door open and without another word or for Azula to get another shot, shut the door with her on the other side.

Azula kicked her wall, though not so harshly. Her lips pursed, and she wondered how far she could get with this. She found herself realizing that it was her curiosity that was growing, not her need for freedom. She indeed wanted to know what has got Lya so spooked, and what Dr. Kiko wants to know about. For a moment, she didn't even care about getting out. It came back to her, but she huffed as recognition hit that it wasn't so important that she got free. …But it was still also a great addition to get out, right?

She glared out the window. How would she get her way, what with an emotional, nutty thirteen year old as her hindrance?

**Lya needed some way to prove it, so I think this'll suffice, no? Haha. **

**This was previously two different chapters, but I thought it wouldn't make much sense unless it was put together. So as mentioned in the last chapter, I will definitely not be able to make more chapters since I will be gone. **


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Hello everyone. Due to my creative writing, I know I've been extra late this time of year. But this…I'll call this my Christmas present for you guys: Chapter Twelve! XD**

Chapter Twelve

A Visit of the Past

"So that's not unusual…" Lya sighed in dismay, glancing beyond Azula's shoulder.

Azula was aware of the death of a patient that lived just a few doors away from Azula. Something about a suicide in their room sometime into the night. Azula's mind drifted off after that. It did not bother her so much. She nodded rather absentmindedly and took a sip of water. She mumbled unintelligible words toward Lya's reply.

She kept fighting, also quiet because of that. She was always trying to come up with a way to get answers to Dr. Kiko's mysterious questions. Whenever the chance was grasped, Lya would grow shy and leave without another word. It would just go nowhere. There had to be a way.

"I heard you punched Takeo in the face," Lya said out of nowhere. She smiled, almost beaming brightly, at the words in her mouth.

Azula shrugged nonchalantly. "We just had a fight at the beach, and he got on my nerves. That was the only time I had a chance to get at him, so I thought, 'Why not?' …Why bring this up?" Azula questioned.

Lya shied her face away with her smile becoming more sheepish. "Well, I dunno, you just always seem to complain about him-"

"Always is an exaggeration, don't you think?" Azula shot.

Lya ignored her and went on, slightly exaggerating with her arms spread across from her. "Plus you punched him, but then you make a bet with him about me. I don't…get that?" she struggled with her words so much, it became a question.

She shook her head. "Well, I'm not sure how to put this, but why complain about him so much? The way I see it, if someone bothered me so much, I'd just ignore them and-you know, not bother someone about that person."

"Well, I'm not one to ignore; I get through things my way, and that includes punching someone in the face. …Your point?" Azula said, impatient with Lya's way to getting to what she wanted to say.

Lya's mouth opened, but more in shock at something above her head. The next words came from a voice that could absolutely not belong to Lya, and it was directly behind her.

"You have a visitor."

Azula's head snapped up, but she pushed away an urge to turn around at the voice that was rather close. She waited a moment for another sound. She was not even certain whether or not it was she that the voice was addressing. Only when Lya gave her a strange look, both at her face and then above her again, did she take the chance to twist around.

A man was standing above her, staring down at her with a blank face. Azula shot him a questioning face, demanding silently for him to repeat his words. Maybe she misheard him. After all, who would come to visit her?

But his echoed words were exactly as she heard, and she became dubious. Was this a prank of some sort? She stood up and peered over her shoulder at Lya, who sent her a vague shrug as her reply. She had no idea what Azula had been through, including losing her friends and respect from her nation and family and…just about everyone else.

Azula turned back to see that the man was already leaving, his back to her. She had no chance to ask who was visiting her, and hurried her pace to follow the man. They disappeared into a corner and coming into the front room of the asylum.

"Why would anyone want to visit me?" she sneered to herself mainly, although an answer from the man would have been suffice. She even glanced toward him, hopeful for an answer, as the man opened the door to the front room.

She lost her patience and pushed the man aside and gave the room a wide eye look to search for her visitor.

Only three people were there. A boy reading a book on the bright white couch leisurely, a little girl staring out the window on the other side of the room on a different couch, and…a young woman standing just feet away, a commiserate smile aimed toward Azula. Azula's eyes widened, but the girl's face did not falter, though a flicker of worry came across her face; Azula wondered just who the worry was for: Azula, or herself.

The girl's pink outfit and large gray eyes were not indistinguishable in her mind, and a name formed in her mind and was sent to her mouth. "Ty Lee." Her voice was lifeless, almost dead though her teeth, as the recognition of her visitor hit.

"Hey, Azula," the girl greeted with a sweet tone that did not meet with her expression. And Azula saw that some things were unlike the bubbly teenager; her face was darkened despite the light in the room. Her smile was too forced, too scared, to be even considered real. She nodded slowly with that unrealistic grin that could not dare attempt to light up her face. Just the idea of it being fake made Azula furious. That, and her past immediately returning in flashes of the past. Ty Lee did not notice it, nor did she know what she was causing.

Azula, poised to strike her betrayer of a friend, the droning character in black, and the girl prepared to strike back. A blur of silver reflected from the glaring sun, and sparks appeared from the tips of her fingers. It was on the verge of a dangerous, violent fight…and then it all twisted into a shocking, backstabbing sting in her back.

Ty Lee jabbing at her sides and her arms, enough to force her to the ground with a slight thud. A gasp that she could not hold back escaped from her lips whilst falling to the ground, too limp to budge and fury contorting her face.

The images went away, and Azula returned to reality. She stepped toward Ty Lee, inches from her face, eyes narrowed. Ty Lee flinched, a flash of horror coming and quickly as it disappeared, but still, Azula saw it. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

Ty Lee inhaled and exhaled in a moment of nervousness. She mustered the courage, attempting to mask her fear of Azula, a dangerous one, being so close. "I'm here to see you, Azula, that's all."

"Well, I can see that, but why are you here to visit me?" Azula countered.

"I-we are all really worried about you. Me, Mai, and especially your brother-"

"My brother?" Azula scoffed. She rolled her eyes and brushed her hair from her face in what she expected to be a casual way. "He put me here in the first place! Why would he care? If he really did, he'd get me outta here!"

"But you need this, Azula…" Ty Lee answered in a lowly tone that was so nervous and scared, and she cleared her throat. "It'll help you feel better. We all know it, and we'll all forgive you when you come back."

"Why would you?" Azula's voice was full of hate, full of spite. The images just got worse in her head, a strange kind of torture that distorted and interrupted her thoughts. The defeat of Ty Lee and Mai, tight in the arms of the Boiling Rock guards; Azula's face, twisted with despite and fury, as she demanded the guards to put her two betrayer friends in prison. And now, here was one of them, and Mai was certainly out. And she was put in a sort of prison; the tables turned. "You all hate me!"

Ty Lee now gave a look of confusion, but shook her head immediately. "No, no, Azula! None of us hate you at all! Well, Mai kind of is mad, but she'll be over it once you prove that you've changed."

"What if I haven't changed at all?" Azula challenged, now curious of her own words. The thought never really came across her mind. How much had she really changed since months ago? "What if I never change?"

"I'm sure you have, Azula. You just don't know it!" Ty Lee piped up in defense, obviously ignoring the naïveté in her words. "And then things will be like they were before; everyone will be happy!"

Even Ty Lee should have known her own words were entirely wrong and inappropriate. Azula gritted her teeth, and Ty Lee let loose the tears that were trying so hard to be free. And once they did, Azula had yet another image, only not from reality. But from a dream.

A surge of something she could not point out dug into her body like millions of icicles upon seeing the image of Ty Lee from her dream, in tears and full of sympathy, too hysterical from dismay to speak clearly. Now Ty Lee, like her dream image, was sobbing because of Azula. That pang returned, but Azula brushed that aside with a minor struggle.

"Get out, Ty Lee. I don't need you-or anyone. I don't need friends. I don't need anything." Why did it hurt so much, stab her so painfully, to speak these words? The threat was no longer a growl, and was not even a threat; it was a lump in her throat that Ty Lee couldn't notice. The hate was still there, something the young girl paid notice to. "I just need my freedom, and you being here is not going to help me."

"Azula…" Ty Lee whispered in a slight plea, stepped backward toward the door.

Azula noticed the boy beside them was now watching. But her glare was too powerful for him to stare long, especially since she recognized him. It was one of Takeo's friends. If Takeo found out about this, she would have the image of the thin face and long black hair to get back at. She forced herself to stare back at Ty Lee, the glare dying down at the sight of her ex-friend, so broken down, so shattered by Azula.

"Just leave," Azula demanded. "Or else you'll end up scarred just like my brother."

Ty Lee gasped, and finally half turned. Her face peered over her shoulders as she began to leave, her lips put together in a straight line of a battle with herself to not grimace and cry once more. Azula crossed her arms and began to head back into the cafeteria, not turning her back until Ty Lee was gone and she heard a door close. She faced the door for a long moment before she went back to the cafeteria, hoping to dodge Lya interrogating her and mask her conflicted emotions. She sat down and buried her head onto the desk.

"A friend of yours?" Lya asked.

A shot of a grimace crossed Azula's face, but she forced it off. "No, ugh," she stopped suddenly. Words could not form a lie or a way to hedge the subject. She found herself saying without much of a mind to her next words, "we use to. But things got really…tough, and I really didn't expect her to come here-or do I want her to be here." She could not say more, or go too deep into what happened.

"Then why was she here if you used to?" Lya continued to question.

"Look, I don't care, and you shouldn't either. I just want to forget she was here," Azula answered. A flash of anger came onto her pointed face, enough for Lya to catch her building anger.

Lya's lips pulled down, quivering slightly. "Alright," she said sheepishly. "I was only curious-I mean, if she was here, she probably wants to forgive whatever you did."

Azula nearly jumped from her seat and walked angrily-close to the brink of running-out of the cafeteria and back to her room. She vanished from Lya's sight without another glance, another thought. The subject was done, behind her.

She closed the door behind her but sank right against her, her back scraping the closed door with silence. Suddenly, a broken feeling snapped inside her, momentarily stopping her from taking another step.

Ty Lee's return took her sharply, a stab at the heart. It reminded her of the past, the dark past that was something she wanted gone forever. And it had returned in the worst way possible; in the form of a vulnerable, innocent betrayer. And those images that flashed in her mind were not gone, and in fact brought allies against her, making her feel tightly spaced in a small room surrounded by evil.

She saw herself, on the floor and chained, bursting into loud, frenetic tears as two more people she despised merely watched her break down from her defeat. And one of them was her own brother-one she horribly injured, but at least he was freed.

When she awoke, she found herself with her face pressed against her knees as her face contorted at the shame of her reaction. Why was she acting like this? That was behind her. And yet Ty Lee brought it all back…

Azula landed in her bed, a wave of depression overcoming her, an evil of its own taking in as its own once her conscience disappeared into a dreamless sleep. Voices were everywhere, some familiar, some new, some loud, some mere whispers. They all clouded her mind, enclosing against her like two walls crushing her body.

When would this ever end?

**I enjoyed writing this chapter a lot; not sure why, since Ty Lee was never really one of my favorite characters, but anyway, I'd quickly like to say thanks to everyone who is reading this, especially those who review this story. I appreciate it all so much. Thank you.**

**And since I don't know when the next update will be, I'll say it now-HAPPY HOLIDAYS! :)**


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**A quick belated Happy New Year to you all. I hope your 2012 is as great as 2011 was, or better. :)**

Chapter Thirteen

A Burden on the Back

Azula buried her face into her blankets, trying to relax her mind and smooth out everything, especially the impact Ty Lee's visit brought. It should not have taken so much out of her, but it did. She wanted to scream her pain away, but she knew it would only make things a lot worse. But how could they get worse when the images, the flashbacks, appeared, all Ty Lee's doing. Azula never thought she'd hate the girl more until now.

It took the night away, replacing it with faces, just faces, but they brought back all the memories, all the negative, the bad relationship of each person.

Ozai, his hardened, cold eyes and black hair that Azula had taken from him. Used her, manipulated her into his own creation, so he could have a child he could not have with weak, pathetic Zuko. Raised her high and proud, showing the ways of royalty and power, forming her into her own, evil kind of person. Rose her high, high, high, and had her fall, fall, fall down hard when she was high enough to reach the clouds. And she landed hard. Not the complete cause of her pain, but another puzzle piece of it.

Ursa, a kind face that resembled hers, only with a more generous aura coming from her. Thought her near invisible, taking in Zuko as her child more than Azula. If she hadn't, perhaps things could have gone another way. Thought she was a monster. Now, now, she was right.

Zuko, an ugly scar marking his face despite his newfound goodness. Rivaled her even though she knew she was better. But maybe he was actually better than her somehow…no, he couldn't be. Yet he could be free, and he was not confined to an asylum-

She struggled so much to force it from her mind, or even distract herself to send those images away. But what could she do…?

"Are you okay, Azula? You seem…out of it," muttered Lya the day after Ty Lee came. She came into Azula's room when Azula remained in her room throughout the whole day. Obviously not a good sign of her getting better from him. Azula ate her food as Lya spoke to her in a whispery octave that Lya could rarely rise more than.

"I'm just perfect," replied Azula, her voice muffled from the blankets encompassing her face and body. Whether she saying that to herself or Lya, though, she hadn't a clue. "Now leave me be."

"It was that girl who came to see you, wasn't it?" Lya pressed on with wide and worried eyes that Azula glanced at for a second before smashing her face back into her pillows. Lya's tone was too caring for someone she barely knew, someone who barely knew her. How could someone really care about someone like her so much?

"I told you, I don't want to talk about that," Azula answered, getting out from her bed. The blankets brushed the floor as she marched toward the window. Though her eyes were directed through them, she was not staring there. She tightened her lips and folded her arms.

"Seriously, Azula," Lya argued. She forced her voice to rise, but despite how Azula could manage the tone of her words, she didn't sound at all harsh, "if you really wanna let this go, you should stop…stop moping around 'bout it. It's not good for you! …So why does this really make you feel so bad?"

Azula twisted around to protest once more, but Lya cut her off by countering with raised arms of defense, "My doctor says something disturbing you is something you should talk about. And maybe you'd rather talk about it with me than your doctor; that's how I am, anyway, and even Takeo."

Azula shook her head. "I really doubt you'd understand. Just. Go. Now," Azula sneered as her hands curled into fists at her sides. It was somewhat of a strangled plea, but a bit of acid escaped her tone enough to intimidate the girl, who then disappeared from her room.

But there was no movement, Azula noted. She looked up, and for once, Lya was sitting straight and with her lips pursed, said, "No, Azula."

Azula grimaced, furious that Lya wouldn't do as she said. "I don't like to be ignored when I tell someone what to do, especially the pathetic likes of you. Now go," she said with no regret of the insult she slammed right at the girl's face.

She saw in Lya's eyes how she faltered by it, but Lya recovered after a sigh. "No. You need to do something about this that doesn't involve moping around."

"You do that," Azula countered.

"It could actually work different for you," Lya said.

Azula then finally noted how the door was not shut; she only noticed when Lya peered over her shoulder when someone passed the room. She shouted in the loudest Azula ever heard her, "Takeo!" And she ran right over to him.

At first, Azula expected this conversation to have been dropped when Lya went over to Takeo. But she watched anyway, in case it was differfent. Lya stretched onto her toes and whispered something into Takeo's ear. And then they both nodded after staring at each other for a quick moment, both with solemn looks. Lya disappeared into the left side of the hallway, leaving Takeo standing at the doorway.

He came in, and Azula's hope for some peace and quiet vanished.

"If you're trying to talk me into stop being in my bed like a stubborn child, you're wasting your time," Azula said immediately when Takeo was right at the edge of her bed. Her feet now dangled as she threw them at the side.

"Well, Lya's right-"

"I already had this conversation, and it's not going to go any better than Lya's attempt."

Azula hadn't expected _anyone _to speak to her about her worries-and now there was a second person standing above her in the hallway. And it was Takeo. And he wasn't a doctor who was paid to hear her woes. It actually made her furious, because for all she knew, the two could be working together now to get her to speak up, like they cared. No one cared for her…right?

Takeo shrugged. "I'm just sayin'…whatever's on your mind, it's not gonna hurt to tell someone. It does hurt to keep it in. Even if it's a doctor, it's better to let it out somehow," he said.

"Since when have you and Lya become so wise about this stuff? Suddenly, I feel like I'm with my uncle!" Azula exclaimed.

Takeo tilted his head. "So? I've been here a decent amount of time to know what some stuff is like-but I'm not old enough to know a lot. Neither is Lya, but I think whatever she's said might be true."

"You two said exactly the same thing; I wouldn't be surprised if you two were working together to…to make me feel better! Which makes no sense. You're wasting your time," Azula said again.

"Like I have anything else to do," Takeo said jokingly, flashing a smile to add to it.

But then there was a pause, and the silence made Azula curiously face him, and saw the smile had faded. He was…nervous? Or was he just growing shy…or something? "I'm not…here just to talk about your problems," Takeo stammered.

"Then what are you here for?" Azula asked through narrowed eyebrows.

"Okay, but…don't take it too crazily serious," he said, avoiding eye contact, which only made Azula more morbidly curious.

So Azula would have to take a dive to get to what he wanted. She felt the tension between them, most of it emanating from him. She almost chose to leave just to dig deep into his nerves. Something in her decided otherwise, however, and she stayed. She nodded the tiniest of nods with her brows cocked as she waited for his next response.

"L-I've seen that you have been really down. And I've been allowed today to head out to a city not far from here-with a guard to watch me, but only one. Better than not going at all, right? And didn't your doctor allow you out of town last week? You mentioned it-or…you more bothered me 'bout it," he said.

Azula shrugged, but her smirk gave her away. "Yes, but I haven't decided to go there yet. I have no reason to go there, anyway."

"I was going out tonight to get something to eat-why don't you come with me?"

Azula shot him a look, momentarily questioning if he were even talking to her and not an imaginary friend he just made then. She wasn't even quite sure if she heard him correctly, and that her mind was playing tricks. She raised her eyebrows. "What?" she asked, though she added some surprise just to make her tone seem sarcastic.

"I mean, I have a feeling food out in the city would be better than cafeteria food here. And I've thought that maybe you'd like to come with since you might need a night out of this whacko place," Takeo explained, though appearing rather perplexed with himself. She wasn't entirely sure, but was he blushing?

Azula tried not to expect what that meant and made her decision easily. She _did _get privileges last week, only never used them. Why not now? Why not test them out? Her shoulders flinched curtly. "Fine. A night out would do I suppose," she replied.

Takeo flashed her a smile and a nod. "Cool. Tomorrow night, then." And he left.

She suddenly had a question, only it couldn't be answered since he left before she demanded, "What did you mean by 'don't take it seriously'?" She found herself talking to air. She brushed her hair from her face and fell back onto the bed, not really understanding what it icould/i have meant. She was not that experienced in that field, after all.

**Bet no one saw that coming. In the beginning of making this story, neither would I. I almost wouldn't have put this in-I don't really like this kind of…stuff (love my vocabulary, don't you? ;)) that much-but once the pieces to the story were put together, this had to be put in to make it all work. But don't get so crazy about it just yet, alright? There is so much more to this, I swear. :)**


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Yeah, I'm aware was possible to see that coming, but like I said, don't get nuts over it or judge at all. There's so much more to go, and I won't let anyone down-or at least, I'll try so hard not to. **

Chapter Fourteen

Close, but Not Quite

"Takeo told me about that you two are going out tomorrow night," Lya said as she came across Azula in the hallway the next morning. Azula returned from a session with Dr. Kiko, which she pulled off without bringing out anything she wanted to say. She almost wondered what he thought of how stubborn she was. Lya took her arm and forced Azula aside against the wall.

_Only two hours into the day and already there's gossip…over nothing, _Azula thought. "Yes, so?"

"It's just…that's great," Lya trilled with her eyes alit with a new aura. Excitement in the latest news in Azula's life. "That's nice," she said in what she had apparently hoped was a calmer tone, but she was nothing like Azula, and not even like Takeo, who may pull of feigning emotions a little if he tried. Her bubbliness bloomed from her dark irises.

"We're just going to get something decent to eat," Azula dodged what Lya could have been implying. It was what Azula had thought, but she just wanted to feel dubious over it. "It's nothing like that," she added with a cringe to prove it. After all, once she slowly figured it out, she wanted the thought erased from her mind at that instant.

Lya was in disbelief, still smiling, still excited about what Takeo informed her. But she put aside her enthusiasm and said sweetly, "I guess it's nice for you to just go out for a while, kinda like things are normal. Glad Takeo agreed to this-"

"Takeo agreed…to what?" Azula asked pointedly, catching Lya before the girl caught herself. Lya's eyes jumped and met hers with a widened, shocked expression. Or more of a caught look.

Lya did not answer at first. And Azula was not a fan of not getting her way. With a glare, she stared down at Lya, with a look close to resentment, vile, and asked more demandingly, "What did Takeo agree to, Lya?"

Azula really hadn't a clue what Lya was talking about, but tried to get it. Nothing really, at least until Lya blurted it all out. "All I did was suggest to Takeo that he should just take you out of the asylum for just a while-I didn't say where, the dinner was all his idea! I didn't think he'd pull it off! I only told him because he's too chicken!" she squealed.

That's what they talked out when they were in the hallway; I am idiot for not figuring that out. "You told him to ask me to dinner? What am I, a desperate freak?" Azula shot, horrified. She felt red flames come into her body, warming her but also lighting her up in ferocity. "If he didn't want to ask me to dinner in the first place, then why force him to do it at all? Why did you do that?" What a mess this has become!

"Azula, I said he wouldn't have asked-there's a difference, I swear!" Lya promised in a high octave, in surprise and in a rather strangled plea. Azula saw the honesty in her eyes but kept her tongue shut. "I only asked because…because you just need to get out of here. And when that girl visited, I swear, I thought you'd never get out of your bed. It's worse than I ever was. So I asked Takeo, 'Buck up and ask her out, already! I know she'll feel better if she knows some guy out there believes in her, that he doesn't think she's absolutely crazy like most people do.' And he said he would, and he did."

The more she spoke, Azula detected how heated this conversation was getting. The courage Lya was mustering to speak was right there, deep in her throat and coming out in emphasized words of the truth. "If I hadn't ask, he wouldn't-but for completely different reasons that you think, seriously! So…so don't get against me because you're getting depressed over this."

"You don't know what I've been through-not a clue!" Azula shouted against her, hoping to add into the heat, when she hadn't even brought out some of her own. She wanted Lya to feel small and pathetic again, so she could feel strong-stronger than her, at least. It was how she wanted, wanted to have resentment somehow in her life, no matter from where, even from someone she had grown close to, however little. "Just because you've been a big baby here since you were a kid, doesn't mean you know how crappy this all has been for me."

Lya's lips quivered, losing the strength she gained so rapidly. She scratched her cheek furiously, like a dirty habit. In a quiet, barely audible tone, she said, "I don't, yeah. But…maybe if you told me, I could. Tell. Me." Another plea, only mouthed this time. But Azula saw the words. And she could not dodge them, not anymore.

She pondered that for what may have been five whole minutes, or just seconds; time was not considered. Something else was. The tension was gone, at least for now.

A smirk stretched upon her face, and she turned around so Lya could not catch it. She shrugged and asked coolly, "And what if I do? …How about we make a-a deal of some kind?"

"A d-deal?" Lya echoed nervously, and Azula heard the noise of her getting off the bed and onto her bare feet. Soft, light footsteps reached her ears and closer with each sound. This time, Azula peered over her shoulder, a serious expression on her face and her smirk wiped off; so Lya could comprehend how significant this was for her. "An…what kind of deal?"

"I tell you about what's got me down so bad," Azula told her through her teeth; it was such a risk to let her pain escape her mouth in front of an easily manipulated, thirteen year old girl. But she found no other way to really grasp what she wanted, or what Dr. Kiko wanted. "But you need to tell me about these ghosts that are haunting you."

Lya's eyes grew if the limit could somehow be surpassed at this point. She took a step back, clutching her cheeks. Her eyes stared at the side, on the ashen gray floors. Azula's lips puckered as she waited for a response; a response she prayed was one she sided with.

"I…I dunno. I mean," Lya murmured, probably mostly to herself. But then her eyes bored into Azula's. "I really…it's tough."

"You can do it-there's a limit to being frail, and I'm sure you have surpassed it for years," Azula urged harshly, making Lya flinch, but also glare at her for the shortest second. Lya did not reply at first, and Azula sighed. Maybe she'd just have to push herself and even Lya to get more. "I'll go first."

Lya gave a faint grin. "I'm not your doctor, Azula. Why don't you tell him?"

"He doesn't care, and I don't want to tell him," replied Azula. She cleared her mind of that man, who feigned complete kindness and sympathy for her pain and words in exchange for the accomplishment for his job, which brought money. Azula discovered that formula with ease, so she never spoke with him about those things.

Lya beamed, suddenly catching Azula's attention. Was she really that excited to get something out of Azula? "Okay." She paused. "So what is it about that visit that's got you so silent? Well, I guess what I can start with is-is who it was?"

"It was an old friend of mine, I told you that-her name was Ty Lee," Azula answered.

"But was she, like, a really close friend?"

"Closer than most people I've known in my life," Azula replied with what she wished was a nonchalant shrug. Ty Lee and Mai were probably her only true friends, so the meaning was true.

"And you…did something that made you guys-uh, not be friends anymore?" Lya struggled for her words, perhaps nervous to say the wrong words.

Which she did. "I didn't do anything! Ty Lee betrayed me!" she shouted.

Lya snapped her head aside and away from Azula's new glower. "Although you had to do something," Lya pointed out quietly. She bit her lip as she found courage to keep going. "I mean, in some fights with friends, both friends could have done two different things to cause them to separate. And plus…you're in here. Maybe that has to do with what happened between you two?"

"No, it was nothing what caused that. That was about my brother-but we're not talking about him!" Azula added rather quickly in order to drop the subject of her brother, which caused fire to spark into her mouth. She shook her head and raised her arms. "But…it's not like I did-"she stopped, catching her words. There were absolute lies. But I did! I did do something to have them hate me! You know that! Her mind fought with herself. Azula struggled with words against the crimson anger coming. She fumed through her nostrils. "I…might've put her into a prison for betraying me-but it was what she and Mai started! They started it, not me." She put as much honesty in her tone as she was capable of, because she believed that was the truth. No regret.

Lya nodded. "Alright, but that's still pretty bad, what you did, you know?" she put in with her arms crossed, still with a sideways glance.

"I don't regret it," Azula said with immediate pride, but also with another pang in her chest. "I told you, she and my friend betrayed me-I did what I had to."

"Okay, then, so back to my first question: why do you think that when she came, you felt so…bad? And you better be honest."

"Fine," Azula spat. She, like Lya, struggled to speak. She feared this might make her feel not just terrible, but she might regret what she says. It might make her feel weak and vulnerable. Just get it over with! Azula's mind shouted. "I-I just hate to see something that reminds me of what happened months go-it drives me crazy! Like it can never get out of my mind. So Ty Lee coming just made me feel horrible, because she was trying to be nice, but she was definitely failing at that; it was like she wanted me to feel guilty for what I did-what got me here and what made us no longer friends."

"You don't feel bad at all for doing what you did to her?" Lya wanted to clarify with an unreadable look. "Even only a little?"

"They're out now-and I'm stuck in here," Azula protested, gesturing around her room. "I got revenge for what I did to them-so I don't care."

It was silent for a whole minute. Azula caught Lya staring at her with protuberant eyes that she shut when Azula saw her. "I'm sorry," she said into the dead silence later.

Azula cleared her throat, forcing her eyes to meet the girl's again, for she was staring beyond the window again, like she feared of Lya seeing her emotions. "Now you tell me."

Lya's head snapped up. "Oh, well…what d'you wanna know? I'll-try to answer."

Hope it's more than try. "My doctor says that something's making you worried-something you won't tell them. And he thinks something about the fact you can see ghosts is connected to that. He wants to know. And now I wanna know. And…I usually get my way, so…you tell me what's got you spooked," she began.

Lya let out a shaky breath. "It's just…well, I know that I can see ghosts, so that's not so scary. But some are just…really bad. Really haunting. It's, like, they know what they're doing-and they do it for the fun of it! …And, um, there's a lot to know about spirits. But I've learned enough about them to figure out some…information, especially about a particular ghost.

"Who is it?" Azula probed urgently.

Lya shook her head. "Don't get me started on that, Azula. She won't let me."

"She won't let you? What?"

"Spirits are powerful-very. I mean, they can even, if they're strong enough, control someone a little. So it's not easy," Lya answered, sitting on the bed, her hands caressing the sides of her face. "And this one is no exception; she's completely powerful."

Lya sat on the floor, her back scraping against the wall. She groaned. "I don't feel well…" she whimpered lowly. "She's getting to me again."

"What do you mean?" Azula said, her voice rising, as she felt that her questions weren't being answered, and they might not ever be at this point. "Just tell me!"

But again, Lya had apparently taken too much out, apparently brought out too much. Azula cursed mentally, realizing her deal was more for Lya now than her. Unbelievable. She got up and left without a single glance toward Azula. Her body was shaking violently, and Azula was sure she was whispering to herself…or maybe a spirit.

Azula punched a wall with flames erupting from her fist. They were small, orange flames-childish flames she could do at a young age. She stared at them for a moment before letting it go.

There was screaming, as Azula attempted to fall asleep that very night. That was all to be heard in the hallway, in the asylum. After that was complete, utter silence. It tore through her, the harsh quiet. And it was not just a loud scream. It was the kind that made spines crawl and children run in fear.

She had no idea where it came from, yet it was so close. Not too far from her, and she couldn't get it from her mind. For just an instant, she wondered if it was her who screamed, and she wasn't even aware of it.

Then voices formed. They were easier to tell where they came from; in a room to her left, but the silence was so painful, those speaking could be heard with ease. She wouldn't have listened in if a name was spoken aloud, a familiar one.

"Lya, please, are you alright?"

Her eyes snapped open; she was now awake. Her narrowed eyes stared at the wall separating her and the obviously troubled girl, like she could see right through it. The voices became murmurs, mixed in with other voices. Azula tried to find Lya's voice to tell what was going on, but the voice was not found.

It became pointless, useless to listen in and be curious about what was going on two rooms beyond hers.

She shut her eyes and drifted into black waves of dreamless fantasy, feeling Lya's truthful words buzzing against her ears and her mind.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

A New Kind of Pain

Azula woke to a headache, sharp in her head like an icicle lodged in her brain. She tried to get up but barely could sit still without feeling as if the walls were tilting. She leveled her head evenly and tried to think about her nightmare. But the more she thought of it, of the only image that came to her in her dream (although she debated about it being a dream or more like a nightmare), it made her feel queasy.

She got out of her bed, and she almost fell down. Nothing made sense. She felt ill. And her mind could not form anything but blankness and confusion. It was as if she was swallowed up in a pit of blackness, with no explanation and no reason whatsoever. What was this?

As she got to the door and opened it, she was sure she saw something in front of her, something in the hallway. Two blurs that did not match the walls or the floor, not facing her or making her presence known. Only when she stepped out did a dark haired face meet her, and she recognized it, though Azula had trouble to make the blurs into reality.

"What's all the fuss?" Azula asked, horrified to hear her voice so hoarse.

"Lya," Takeo replied. "She just kinda had a freak attack last night-you probably heard it. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised to see people from the Southern Water Tribe come up and asked what cause that noise."

"'Kinda' is a slight understatement, then," Azula commented bitterly, slowly recovering. She followed Takeo over to Lya's room, almost shutting her eyes as the pain returned. With the door open, Azula noticed all the doctors and nurses surrounding a bed. She had never been in there before, but with a doctor heading in rather in a hurry, Azula took a guess.

And she was right. Behind all the nurses and doctors, squished into a bed that looked large against the tiny figure, was Lya.

"You two need to leave," a woman hissed at the sight of Azula and then Takeo walking through the door. Fire rolled into her eyes, although she sounded exhausted.

Azula began to argue when a doctor added in, "This room is restricted for only the patient, especially at this time, so-"

"Who is it, sir?" piped up a younger, squeakish voice behind a sea of unfamiliar heads.

"Azula and Takeo," replied Takeo, craning his neck to see Lya. But it was impossible because of the comparison of his size against the several tall workers.

There was a pause which Lya broken not even a second later. "I want to see them anyway," she said to some worker, her voice breaking nervously. "Just go for a minute. Please."

"We can't allow them in. Not when you are feeling this bad," protested another nurse.

"I really need to talk to them. It's really important."

"But Lya-"

"GO!" Lya struggled hard to raise her voice to a yell, but when she did, it was like a bird's screech. Azula wasn't sure, but she thought she heard Takeo chuckle under his breath as doctors and nurses hurried out of the room. If Lya was so desperate to see them enough to _yell_, Azula guessed, something must be up.

In just a minute, the three were alone. Lya was visible, or at least what could be seen through her from the blankets and her large bed. Azula and Takeo walked over to her.

Though Azula had only known her for a short while, she had never seen her-or really anyone-looking so jaded and destroyed. Below Lya's wide eyes were very dark, very visible circles. Her hair was attempted to be tugged into a ponytail, but it still seemed as if her hair had gone wild like her. Though Lya was not shaking, Azula could feel that the girl was struggling hard whilst doing so. Broken. Fallen.

It was almost like going back months when Azula got here, only Azula was stubborn and hot-tempered while Lya was timid and fragile. But the similarities were there.

Azula stood over Lya, with Takeo just beside her, a hand on her shoulder as he peered somewhat curiously over her shoulder at the broken girl in bed. "Lya…"

Lya's teary face reached up to them. She breathed a heavy sigh, which was slow and shaky. "I know. I probably…look awful. But I feel worse," she said.

"What happened?" Takeo asked, as if digging into Azula's thoughts.

Lya shook her head, as if in denial to speak, but she answered anyway. "It's getting worse, I swear. I just…can…not…not anymore," she slurred, suddenly in tears again, her breathing breaking into a word every harsh breath. She violently clutched her blanket, and her head was deep into her pillow. She did not pull it out when they came out, but Azula could still see the destruction Lya's nightmares have caused-or, not nightmares at all, but reality that was so much like an apparently sadistic nightmare .

"What happened?" Takeo continued, but Azula knew the answer already. She gave Takeo a look, but turned back around when Lya whimpered.

"I can't say it, Takeo…and you can't make me!" Lya said urgently, flinching toward and then back in her leaning and pathetic position.

Azula had had enough. Her patience for Lya was done, gone forever probably. Seeing her like this, and yet she still was secretive, was driving her to the edge. She curled her fists at the sides of the bed, and Lya's eyes barely moved as Azula spoke up with a slight hiss caught in her tone. She did not regret the vile, though.

"Lya, you better confess what you know. I'm tired of waiting for you to get some courage and just tell me why I'm bothering you for. If you're so afraid of this…thing, then just fight it! You can't be that pathetic-not even my brother was. It can't be as bad as you think," she added to assure Lya safety-safety she wasn't so sure of, but was too irritated to think about.

It took Lya a minute to have her head in the air, unsuspended by the pillow. She looked worse with her head up, and it was like it pained her to. She cringed and gave Azula a solemn look. She shook her head.

Then she titled her head as she observed Azula's face for a while. She noticed when Azula slammed her eyes shut for a quick beat as a bit of pain dug into her skull again.

When she opened her eyes, Lya was apparently commiserated…towards her. "So she's getting to you, too," she said in a mutter, leaning toward Azula as if to keep classified against Takeo.

"No one's getting to me," Azula snapped. "I just have a headache."

"So you say," Lya responded with a sideways glance to air…unless there was more than she anticipated.

"Maybe it'll get better, Lya," Takeo tried to reassure Lya behind Azula. He was rather close to Azula's face, his breath nearly whispering into her ear. She would have moved away but decided against it and paid attention to Lya, begging for the girl to snap and tell her everything. It had to work…eventually. "If you let it all out, maybe everything will get better. We'll try to help."

This side of Takeo surprised Azula, but with her gaze at Lya, thank goodness he could not see it. Lya's lips quivered, but the consideration in her eyes gave away that her stubbornness was dying.

"Azula." she whispered, unresponsive to Takeo. Her lips only moved an inch away from each other; she was too tired to even talk above a whisper. Or too defeated?

Azula's eyebrow raised curiously, a sign for Lya to continue.

"If something does happen," she said, and her nod was haunting mixed with those words, "I'll still try to help. Everything I do know is…under the mattress." She pulled the mattress aside for a gap in between the bed's bottom and the mattress. Only for a second, yet Azula did not see anything. She had a feeling Lya did not want her to. Not yet, maybe.

"You can tell us now then!" Azula told her, aghast at her response; if she knew everything, then it should have been so easy… "How long have you known 'everything'?"

Lya shrugged. "A while. I've gotten a little I could at a time 'till it all made sense."

"Unbelievable," Azula muttered, turning to walk away. But Takeo put his hand back on her shoulder and rotated her back to Lya's face.

Lya held her head, muttering something between a sigh and a weak moan. "It's really bad…I've tried," she said, her eyes switching to both Azula and Takeo. "It's tough, but maybe you two could stop it." She shrugged, and she was frowning, her mysterious and rather ominous tone getting to Azula. What was she saying? What did she mean? "Better than I have."

"You two need to go," a doctor behind them said. Azula glared over her shoulder, glad that it was Dr. Kiko instead of a doctor who was not use to her angry stares. Why he was in here, Azula had not seen the reason yet.

Takeo stepped out, with Azula behind him. Lya smiled at her before she left. Dr. Kiko closed the door behind them. He allowed Takeo to leave and head to his room, but he stared down at Azula. "What were you doing in there with Lya?"

"Why do you want to know?" Azula countered, allowing her sarcasm to slip out. "You may be my doctor, but not everything I do need to be analyzed and probed into."

Dr. Kiko's gave her a look she could not really read. She knew she was losing her edge of being able to tell what a person was feeling. Before, she was a people-person. Now, she had no clue. She glared harsher at that, but Dr. Kiko saw it as a glower at him. Dr. Kiko's eyebrows narrowed, as well, but as more an observation than an angry stare. Then he walked away.

Azula and Takeo went over to the doors to their rooms. She almost went in; almost. Instead, she turned to him. "Does this make any more sense to you at all?"

"As much sense as just about anything, so…not much," Takeo said smiling, probably joking. But then he gave a dark glance at his side; specifically, toward Lya's room, where the door was shut when a doctor or two went inside.

"How does anyone except crazy people like us to understand this?" Azula asked rhetorically.

But Takeo answered anyway. "Maybe we're so crazy, we'll figure this out in a crazy way." Still grinning. Still getting on her nerves.

"I would take this more seriously, you know," she chided him, annoyed by his smirk. "Besides, I didn't mean to call us crazy that way; we're not that crazy."

"Hey, everyone is their own kind of crazy. We just decided to let ours be known." At that point, she was sure she saw a flick of seriousness in his eyes, but she had no way to tell when masked by a smiling face like Takeo's.

Azula gave him a look before heading back into her room. Another stab into her mind. _Ugh._ These were getting on her nerves. …But what if they really _were _more than a headache, like Lya suggested?


	17. Chapter Sixteen

***kicks wall* Gah. So worried about this chapter. I can hardly stand this one, for a few reasons. I mean, it's okay, I guess, but…I'm not going to rant. But seriously, if I dodged it, I would be rushing things, and my instincts of writing are against that entirely. So here's this rather…'okay' chapter. (look at me and my vocabulary XD)**

**So, you know the usual they say in A/N's: Read and review-appreciate it if you do. **

Chapter Sixteen

Something Between Awkward and Awkwardly Nice

Lya never spoke the rest of that day, and Azula never bothered to see her again. All through the day, she tried to understand what Lya said, the littlest bit of information she gave her. It hardly made sense, but something in her told her she was missing something.

She was nowhere, the same position since that morning, when night arose to replace the day. A light breeze entered her room, the moon's bare glare bouncing into her room. This is what caught her attention again, and had her realize the late time.

Azula left her room, hoping no nurse-especially Tai-Mali-would bother her while she not only tried to find Takeo but get out of here. The idea of leaving and actually going into another town would have seemed like ancient history by now if last week, Dr. Kiko didn't give her the permission.

But she discovered Takeo standing in the hallway, brushing his hair with a nervous face. His lips were pulled to the side as he looked into space. She stared for just a few moments before coming up to him. "Careful, someone can easily take you down if you aren't paying attention well," she said as a way to let her presence be aware in his world.

Takeo blinked, and the wandering of his eyes disappeared as he turned to her. "Oh, hey," he said like he had not heard her response. "Ready?"

"What has you so deep in thought?"

"Trying to figure out what Lya meant before, but…" He shrugged. "Nothing comes to mind. I don't understand that whole seeing ghosts anyway. I mean, I know people have seen ghosts a few times before, maybe even I have and didn't know it. But…what she says makes no sense in my head."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that-we have time later," Azula told him. After all, she knew as much as he did. Together, thinking about it too much would get them nowhere anyway. Perhaps a time away from Yun Ko would calm her mind and soothe it a little. "Let's get outta here already."

Takeo nodded, back into space and returning quicker than the first time. "Alright."

They had no trouble, or so they thought, escaping the building. There had to be some nurses or guards on patrol. In all honestly, Azula would have preferred a guard-someone that didn't make her wish death was legal.

Tai-Mali was in the front room, their very exit chatting in whispers with another worked at the counter. Then she slowly turned her head toward Takeo and Azula. Azula cursed under her breath as Tai-Mali skidded over to her. "And what are you doing up now? What are…you two up to?"

"Didn't our doctors tell you we're going to Shaling tonight? Or are you so full of yourself that you think you can try to stomp all over us?" Takeo said right in her face. The woman's tiny body shivered; after all, she was a third his size. "Thought so."

But the shudder died and in its place, a horrible glare contorted her round face. "You don't deserve it," Tai-Mali sneered. She pointed at Takeo, but also at Azula next. Her hands gestured wildly as she added, "None of you do. I wish all of you that come here never leave because this world is a better place without you running 'round in it."

Her lip quivered, and she disappeared from the room in a hurried walk.

There was a short pause. "She seems lovely," Takeo muttered, not sounding quite so jokingly.

"She's one of my nurses, so no, not quite so much," Azula informed him.

He chuckled. "Must suck. Now let's go before it's too late to get out."

That seemed to catch someone's attention instantly-like a new piece of gossip at school. "You two heading to Shaling?" the woman Tai-Mali was talking to previously butted in with a smile. "What are your names so I can allow that?"

"Takeo."

"Azula."

The woman nodded and immediately lit up. "Yes, but before you go-here, this is given to signify permission to leave the area and head into town," the woman at the counter informed the two, disappearing down into the table only to appear seconds later. In her hands were two strands of dark red fabric. "You tie it around your waist. You must return it, though, when you come back." She did not give them a threatening glare but a gleeful smile-which Azula wanted to punch off the lady's face.

The two took the ribbons and tied them around their waists. It made the white outfits they wore seem less billowy and wide, and it didn't seem quite as odd to think about what people thought upon seeing people in the strangest of wardrobe. Though they didn't get the strange "process," they didn't argue; they were getting the hell out of there.

"And we'll have two of our guards watch over you-just for safety precautions. You'll scarcely notice them, so you can still have a nice time." Another stretched out, exaggerated smile that was practiced too many times.

Takeo made the first gesture to leave the buildings, and they did.

* * *

><p>The remaining decaying leaves were starting to cascade from the twigs high in the trees as the cold swept between every tree and toward the two patients. Neither of whom who carried a jacket, but the cold was really nothing for either. The sound of the wind's whisper was louder than their meander toward the town. There was no conversation, only staring afar, each nearly craning their necks in search for another building that did not make them want to spit.<p>

Azula peered over to her right at the sound of leaves brushing the ground loudly-but it wasn't the leaves that caught her attention, but the footsteps that made the leaves move. A black shadow lunged across their direction, deep in the trees, but the figure was warned of.

"Why do we need to be guarded? It's not like they can't trust us," Azula said with an awkward chuckle; she knew her attempt at joking was worse than pathetic, but it escaped her before she knew it. She bit her lip in the fear of blushing in embarrassment-or being embarrassed at all-and dodged Takeo's face in case he reacted silently.

He made no response, which was about time times worse. She rubbed the side of her forehead and almost closed her eyes, but she would have missed the sight of a market, and then another, and soon the whole place could be sighted once the trees disappeared and the town of Shaling arrived in front of their eyes.

"Where's the restaurant?" Azula asked immediately, not taking a deep interested into the town filled of red and gold-what else in a city in the Fire Nation?-and mainly markets and small hotels.

"Over here," Takeo said, pointing not too far north. She followed him and they came to an open-gaped restaurant with a few round tables and only a rare couple eating there at night.

"Not exactly what I've seen at the palace, but it'll have to do," Azula feigned disappointment and walked with him to the restaurant.

Takeo laughed under his breath and waved at an available table-well, one of them. And they sat down. After a moment, Azula comprehended, "We have to get the food, don't we?" She noticed the open window at the other side with a man leaning against the wall lazily with a menu just beside him.

He nodded. "That's how normal people do it."

"I honestly don't think there's normal people in the world," Azula commented. "There's mainly two kind: peasants and royalty. Royalty was better."

"Have it your way, but if you want, I'll get the food-" He suggested, but he stopped midsentence with a paled face and a stare at Azula's right. It was the kind of stare that made Azula want to ask, but her answer arrived immediately before anyone made a sound or any other kind reaction.

"No way, Takeo?" a young girl shouted and came over. Her dark curls were pulled back into two ponytails on the side, giving her a younger kind of look. Takeo would have looked away and feigned hiding from the girl, Azula noticed, but it was too obvious, apparently. The girl poked his shoulder as she bit her lip giddily.

Takeo finally turned back to see the bug eyed girl with tiny freckles. "Ayeisha," he said her name slowly, either because he forgot it, or wished it wasn't that same person.

"Yeah!" the girl named Ayeisha squealed. "It's been a while, hunh?"

"Totally." Takeo blinked. Azula imagined his shock at the serendipity of meeting an old friend-one, she infered, so far was making Takeo uncomfortable.

"So, uh, where have you been?" Ayeisha asked.

Azula's shock mirrored in Takeo's enlarged eyes. "…Seriously?" Takeo squinted at her in incredulity.

"You just…disappeared for a while, I really missed you. And you never came to visit me or Rye or Hui-Yinn. I thought you just ran away or something. Glad you're back, though," she went on, oblivious to Azula or Takeo's story.

Takeo tried to smile, but Azula was sure the girl could have noticed; unless she was as dumb as Ty Lee was. "It's a long story, okay? I didn't want to leave you guys. It was kind of…the family's choice, 'kay?" Takeo said.

"So where have ya been?" she poked him, as if to make Azula even madder. This girl reminded her so much of Ty Lee-the oblivious personality and the unbelievable naiveté.

"Just…somewhere, now can you go?" Takeo demanded quietly, and Azula could tell how awkward it was becoming all around them. And yet Azula hadn't seen the glow in his eyes like she would imagine. He's changed a lot, and becoming more calm and gentle. And this was getting him nowhere.

"C'mon, Takeo, you really can't be that stubborn." Ayeisha protested. "I mean, did ya come to hate us after so long? I can take it, but I don't take 'no' for an answer." Despite Ayeisha's playful tone, it was growing irritating.

Azula just about had enough, realizing the more they talked, how far they would not get to telling the truth. Takeo's eyes revealed how he had no intention of telling Ayeisha where he has been all this time. So she made her presence known-or more well-known-but standing up and smacking her palms against the table. It shook just loud enough for Takeo and Ayeisha's attention to be grasped into Azula's direction.

"I know Takeo doesn't want to be rude and shove something in your face," Azula began with a sly smirk she missed showing, especially on helpless victims who knew nothing about her. The girl gave her an uncertain look, almost confused, but Azula didn't care and added, "but I'm not like him. So you don't know where he's been after so long?"

"No, I never got to…" The girl's voice trailed into the wind, and was again interrupted by another of Azula's caustic chuckles.

"Well, if you really had no clue, Takeo was taken into the asylum in the forest when you said he 'left town,' and he's been there since. He's just too nice to say it." Azula flashed a scary smile. And another step back Ayeisha went.

But then the shine in Ayeisha's eyes vanished, and became glassy. She blinked and turned over to Takeo. "Oh, Takeo…Takeo, I'm really sorry. I-I-I had no idea. I had no contact with your family ever after that, so I had no way to figure out you went there. And…no one knew-" She spluttered on, very upset with herself for not knowing and trying to make herself look like the good guy again.

Takeo raised his hands and put them on hers, which were on the table. "It's okay. I understand you didn't know. It's just…good to get out, ya know?" His smile won her over, and she sighed breathlessly, like she would faint any second. Azula tried hard not to roll her eyes.

"Yes. Thanks, Takeo," said Ayeisha. "And I'll tell the others 'bout you. I hope you're doing alright in there. It'd be great to see you again soon."

Takeo nodded. "Me, too. I miss ya'll, too. Really. You can't find many friends in a place like Yun Ko-sometimes, they just might try to drown themselves." He laughed, mainly to let Ayeisha-and possibly Azula-know it was a joke. Ayeisha chortled nervously, just a little.

But Ayeisha turned to Azula and pretended to whisper-pretend being that Azula heard her perfectly-something to Takeo. "Well, you must've found someone to talk to in that psycho place to talk to you." She straightened her posture. "I gotta go. Nice to see ya, Takeo, and maybe we'll see each other again." Her fingers wiggled as her wave good-bye and she left the restaurant and their sight.

"Great, so you have your own Ty Lee to deal with," Azula commented finally.

"What?" A flash of confusion appeared on Takeo's face.

"Ignore that," she said, almost smiling; almost. Then… "How can you forgive her so easily? She didn't know, but she still made it seem like you never left, and never gave you the chance to explain," Azula argued.

Takeo scoffed. "If you were me, you'd be pissed at her even if she gave you a million roses. But not me. I know when to show forgiveness. And Ayeisha's a good friend; she deserves it," he said, taking a sip of tea.

"But what if she didn't mean it all? She might've been doing that just to get on your good side," Azula argued.

Takeo pretended to think about it, and answered just a moment later, "No, I don't see that." He smiled and then said, "Another question. My turn."

"What?" Azula snapped.

"You sure half of your questions were about Ayeisha and really for…someone in your life?" He smirked, already sensing victory.

"What gives you that?" she defended herself.

"The way you're asking them. You don't have to be no genius to figure it out…eventually. It just seems like while you're asking me 'bout Ayeisha, you're asking about some girl who gave you trouble in your past. Plus…" Another smirk. "You just mentioned some girl named Ty Lee. I'm guessing that was her."

Azula made no response, so he added, "Tell me I'm wrong, because I am…a lot."

"No, you got it," Azula murmured, drinking from her cup to bring the conversation to a stop. And once Takeo saw the signal, he went for it and drew to a close the conversation. Although at one point, he asked what they should get and went to get it for their table.

And Azula sat in silence, at war with herself once more. How could she let herself slip so easily? So easily, that idiot figured it out? She clearly was losing control of her emotions, the strength of her well-being. And all because of being in the asylum in the first place. But why waste her time arguing about it? For once, she was out of there, in actual fresh air.


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**A/N: Yes, I am actually giving you two chapters today. Call it something for my constant absenses when I've just been procrastinating on this. Beside, this chapter really got me going when I got a writer's block a while back.**

**And about changing the genre-AGAIN-I apologize, I just feel like it has more drama than mystery in this. Besides, mystery wasn't even big in this until later on. This'll be the last time, swear. XD**

Chapter Seventeen

Their Backs Turned

With Azula never the socially successful child, the silence the rest of the dinner when Takeo returned spoke the truth of how awkward the dinner was. She tried to look away, but there was nothing to stare at. Shaling was nothing more than a market area with this restaurant and maybe another-merely a place to get prepared to head to the Fire Nation Capital. And with dusk beginning to peak from the high mountains far from the city, people were beginning to leave the streets from the late night's arrival. She found herself staring at the wooden market-one of maybe a million, give or take a few, where a very tall, very skinny man was trying to get in the last leavers of the town to buy his merchandise which mainly had jewelry. Azula had no doubt it was all fake.

She turned back and watched Takeo eat his food, sensing he was in no mood to chat. She ate her food, and felt glad to eat outside of some crummy asylum cafeteria. And it wasn't so bad. It was better than the totally uncomfortable feeling that was all around them. Azula almost opened her mouth to speak, but she shoved her mouth with more food.

But why would she want to break the silence with words she thought would sound…not like her? Because as time went on, something in her had broken, a light making her feel lightheaded. She almost passed out but she fought it and won. Now she was angry, merely angry that she had her emotions not in her control for even a second, and they weren't what she expected in the first place. Something was up inside her, only she had no answer.

When the time was almost over, when Azula and Takeo's food was almost gone, Takeo was the first to speak in a long time. Probably to just fill the air with words, or maybe because he wanted to talk. "What d'you think Lya's up to?"

Azula had no idea what to talk about, but about another person was not what she would have had in mind. She glared down at her plate and answered, "Not sure. And I don't care. I'm not her nurse or whatever."

"I just hope she's okay. She ain't herself, and this ghost thing really is making her lose it," Takeo went on.

"She'll be alright," Azula told him, turning edgy as the topic went on.

But Azula felt something in her stomach rising, and it wasn't from bad food. And it wasn't because of not being able to stare Takeo in the eye without that strange pang in her heart. Like an odd, ominous feeling that couldn't go away even as she tried to stop thinking about Lya or even Takeo. Something was just…off.

* * *

><p>Azula and Takeo walked through the forest, the guards having disappeared through the thick, darkened trees. They said nothing, but there was thinking. She wondered what he was thinking, and she wondered if he wondered what she was thinking. A second later, she decided she did not care for either.<p>

As they made their way to the end of the trail, Azula tried to think of something to say. Something about the night, how she didn't hate it. Or maybe how she had these unexplainable emotions raking in her brain. But then something caught her eye and made her stop everything.

Takeo noticed, too, and was the first to mention it. "No one's out searching for us, are they? They shouldn't," he said, pointing to the doctor searching in the trees-not familiar, just certainly visible to catch.

"Well, I wanted to burn that girl that came over to you, but otherwise, I believe we were both doing well," Azula said, but Takeo hadn't heard her joke and hurried his pace into the forest and toward Yun Ko.

She followed him as that strange feeling in her gut just made a bigger commotion.

Guards, workers from the asylum, all scattered in the forest once they found the asylum close. Takeo stared at horror around him, and all Azula was wondering was what was going on. Despite the autumn wind's cold brush, no one made the thought to dress warmer, and they were searching for…something.

Azula immediately recognized an old face and asked her sharply, "What's going on, Gia?" Takeo took a step away from her and stared around the area, hoping to find what they were looking for-whatever they were searching for.

Gia's blanched face became leveled with hers, though she remained kneeling from searching into the trees and bushes just inches from her. Her usually scolding, grimacing face revealed glints of fear and worry. This made Azula slightly mirror the woman's emotions. What would make Gia so scared, enough to make her break just a little?

Gia answered her unspoken, question with a gulp, and then, "We've lost one of our patients. She's run away. It happens often, and…whether they come back or not is really uncertain, but…but Dr. Kiko needed her. He told you that."

No names were mentioned at all but her own doctor's, which was ten times worse. It only made it easier to realize who was missing, or possibly-the word sounded bitter in her mind, and she brushed it away. Why get to such immediate judgment anyway? _Not yet, she might be around here somewhere. She can't've gone too far. _

Takeo was the first to shout her name out in case she might call back. "Lya?" he asked with no emotions; was he breaking? Just by this girl disappearing? At least Azula knew better, but still, where was Lya? Why would she run away? She had to be stronger than that!

"You two go back to your rooms now," Gia informed them, returning to her ever hardened stare and tone. But it came back as she added, "This is the worst time to be out-I don't like when this happens…" her voice broke off, but Azula had no idea if she was crying, since her back was turned.

"I want to find Lya, too," Takeo responded. "We could help."

Gia glared but gave in with an exasperated sigh. She groaned as she got up, her age becoming an enemy as she straightened herself. "Fine. But be careful," she warned them. "I don't like it at all when patients run away…for all we know, they've turned homicidal."

"We'll keep that in mind," Takeo said dryly as he headed left.

Azula came up behind him.

"Why is it 'we'?" she asked him as she came up beside him again. "I don't want to do this. You could've asked me."

"Or you could leave. 'We' implies nothing except that I thought you would help me," Takeo answered her with a suspicious stare. "But why don't you want to find her? She's your friend, right?"

"Yes, I'm her friend, not her babysitter," said Azula. "She's, what, thirteen, maybe? She can take care of herself fine." Azula's positive spin with her words did not faze Takeo to have him believe the last part.

They searched into the trees, away from the other doctors. Azula dodged where Takeo went; despite how bad it seemed, she had to be somewhere.

But then they saw her. And not at all like they wanted.

Takeo saw it first. He made no response, but his silence said it all. Especially since he took steps back, his face full of horror from what he was seeing. She ran over to him when she saw him and took him by the arms.

She shook him as she saw his face, and he half snapped back into reality. "Takeo, back to Earth, now!"

He pointed. And she followed where he pointed, with him holding one of Azula's hands. His was shaking viciously, and of course she had expected the worst after his response.

Still, once she discovered Lya, it was not like she wasn't mortified like he was. But Lya was not _her_. Takeo immediately ran for help, snapping from his shock, and Azula was now sure he was more freaked out than she saw. How could one not be at such a site of Lya with a rope around her neck?

She must have gone as far back so no one could find her, so no one could stop her. Her eyes were a mist, somewhere else in the world-if they even were in this world anymore. They just stared…hopeless and forever. She had a blank look, not one of fear or regret. She was just there.

There…hanged…lifeless…dead.

Azula followed Takeo, though late in reaction; workers were already heading toward the dead body. She couldn't bear to see that anymore, though. She was strong, but there had to be limits. And one of them included a girl you know having killed herself.

**Poor, Lya. But after this, I think it gets a lot better. It seems bad to say, but hey, life goes on. :) **


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**So I have officially finished writing the whole story. I won't say what else is left to this story, but since I'm done with that, all I have to do is proofread and try to get in my stories quicker than usual. Though with babysitting and softball practice, my schedule will be slightly tighter the next few weeks. I'll still be able to get in chapters as best as I can, though. **

Chapter Eighteen

Broken

Azula didn't watch Lya being taken away under the white sheets. She wanted to stare off farther away from the world and toward space. She had no way to feel about this. It hurt to think about it, really. After all, her work to get answers has crumbled to nothing, with nowhere to go from there. Just Lya's worthless words that made her mind scatter, and that hurt a little, too.

She turned to Takeo as he saw Lya disappear from the forest being carried by the several guards on a stretcher. He stared through Azula's window with fierce desire, and sat beside Azula as she watched his reaction. He hadn't sad anything since running to get to guards and inform them about Lya's suicide. It sort of put her at ease, especially since it was a bigger toll on him than it was for her; and she thought he hated her.

There was obviously more to it. She just never paid attention.

She observed his face, the depression that suddenly masked his hardened face. The weakness in Takeo's eyes made her unable to look away, and she was suddenly very aware of what might be lingering in his mind. And it was so immediate, a good smack in the face, his downed reaction, all coming just after discovering Lya.

She came to a strong conclusion, and found herself asking it, with no doubts about it: "You liked her, didn't you?"

"Yeah…" Takeo said, his response very immediate; unafraid to admit it or hide it. He wasn't smiling, though. "I never thought this'd happen; I wish we stayed."

"And how could we stop her? How would we know about this in the first place? We're not exactly geniuses, so we wouldn't find out until much later anyway," Azula argued. The venom in her tone made her want to spit, as she had a sudden anger toward Takeo. It had to be what he said just then. Perhaps it was because she was confused about Takeo's…love life, as she decided to describe it. Lya said he liked her, but now, so quickly, he went to mention Lya. As much as she hated drama, she also hated not being able to figure things out.

Especially since she was thrown right into the middle.

He shrugged. "I just…I'm sure we would've figured something out."

"Eventually," said Azula, rolling her eyes, and her arms across her chest.

Takeo's teeth clenched, the stranger she met in the beginning returning. "Why would she do this to herself? Did she really think she had no choice but to kill herself?"

Azula shrugged, not really sure how to answer that. Despite her vague answer, Takeo still continued talking about it, like he wasn't even talking to her. Did he even know she was there?

"I wish she hadn't made me go. How stupid," he said.

Azula gave him a sharp glare, only growing more furious; unless he had more to say, then she'd reach the very top. Only as she thought about it, it could have made more sense. No one could like her in this world, where she was a crazy freak! She brushed aside her thoughts and turned away, her callow new instincts making her decide to leave. "Yes…she made you go," she said with a raised brow. She stared aside and added with a dark tone, "The idea to be around me makes everyone run away anyway."

"What are you talking about?" Takeo asked, having heard her, staring at her with his face contorted in confusion.

"Nothing," Azula said as casually as she could, adding a shrug into the mix. "Just talking to myself." She let out a hint of bitterness, and she disappeared from his sight, away from the hallway, to make sure he didn't ask what she meant by that.

She wasn't sure just who she was mad at, or at least mad at the most: Takeo, Lya, or even Dr. Kiko. Possibly the whole world. It deserved her hate. Every single person!

Azula ran into someone and almost snapped at him, but his voice cut her off. "Azula, do you need to talk about anything?" Dr. Kiko asked with a down face.

Azula gritted her teeth. She had rarely gone to see her doctor anymore, and when she did find herself talking, it wasn't with him unless he made her. Their sessions were not at all fun, not one bit. It was usually with Lya, or on a rare occasion, Takeo, who she didn't hate talking to. With Dr. Kiko, it was miserable. And now, she couldn't stand to even think of either, and one was dead, so…

She shook her head fiercely and pushed her doctor away with enough force to get the idea she was not in the mood in his head. Maybe he would listen.

"Azula, you haven't been seeing me much, but you really do need to talk about something. I can see it. And I promise it'll make you feel b-" He began, but Azula twirled around, trying so hard not to let flames come from her fists.

"I might as well never get better; what's the point when I always fall back down?" she shouted into his face, and left the hallway to just walk through the asylum. Her mind was gone at the moment, and she had no idea where she was going. She just needed to get around and stop the anger or else it might end up ugly.

Although her big problem was seeing Lya's dead body hovering in midair as Death took a fierce grip against her neck. How could she do that? Azula was sure Lya could have fought it. Azula could have, she was sure. Only another person could argue otherwise.

**Pardon the short chapter-lol, really short! This was previously with chapter seventeen, but I changed my mind…for no real reason, but I don't honestly thing I need one. And there's a lot in the next chapter that happens, anyway-oh, don't get me there yet. You all just have to wait. Hehe. :)**


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

The Fall and Rise

Azula tried to sleep. Couldn't. The night was haunted with not just images from just hours ago when everything made her world shake just a little, but also with a voice lingering in her mind, invading her thoughts, which suddenly felt naked and standing out everywhere. It stabbed her mind, hurt her head enough to almost wake her up. But she didn't, which should have felt strange enough…

But early in the morning, she finally forced her eyes open, fought whatever was shutting her eyes away. And beside her against the barren room was a breakfast tray. How long had she been asleep?

She wasn't hungry, or if she was, she didn't take notice of it. She ignored it. She hadn't eaten in a while, leaving the trays they gave her to rot until a nurse returned to take it away. But still, she was not in the mood to eat.

Regular, human emotions came to her but left so quickly, she couldn't believe it. The nightmare from the night before came back to haunt her, even the image of her mother never left her, not even as she awoke. Just as the tears came, they were useless and meaningless. She buried her skull against the pillow and waited. But nothing came. Not the exhaustion, not the hunger, not the energy she required for the day. Only something in her made her feel monotonous and gray. It smacked her right across the face, almost painfully. She felt like she was gone.

She felt that something was missing, maybe forever. And…and where was she? Where was she in all of this? She could not think, move, or control herself. Where had she gone?

_Gone, gone, gone. _

Okay, she was in her body, but she almost felt like she was apart from it, no longer a part of it. Again, she had no control against her feet as she got up and walked toward the door. Why was she going there? She just wanted to be in her bed.

In the blink of an eye, she found herself already down the stairs and at the exit. A woman was in front of her, already addressed of her presence. "I'd like to go outside for a bit. Azula," she found herself saying, but she did not sound like herself. Lifeless and cold. She felt like she was watching herself speak. She couldn't even control her voice. She was speechless.

The nurse scanned the paper for her name, and nodded in acceptance, allowing her to go. Two guards eyed her but she paid no mind to them. Azula didn't nod, just left. Her feet wandered, as did her mind. She was limp inside her body, a simple object that watched and did nothing.

Her feet took her body into the trees. No guard warned her or followed her, which she wasn't sure what to think of. Why now they were not around, not noticing her, she had no clue. Almost wished they would stop her. That almost was still lingering in her thoughts, though. Nothing will stop her.

After pushing through trees and bushes and twigs, she stopped. She almost let her paranoia strengthen her control of her body. She thought she heard a voice, only not directed at her. But Azula lost that fight, shouting against the illusions lurking in her mind, trying to escape, trying to free herself. And trying to figure out what was happening to her. Had she finally lost it?

She went on, but stopped after a few long steps. She heard the crashing of the waves, however vaguely in her ears. At least she could hear…and see the ocean ahead. Azula stood atop the edge of a high cliff that sat above the pure blue ocean floor.

The ocean wasn't quiet. Gray clouds consumed the morning sky, which gave Azula a sense that a storm was coming. Waves of bright blue crashed against the cliff and the pointed rocks below. The waves were violent and looked ready to strike anyone that came around. Strike them right into the sharp rocks that could easily penetrate human skin.

_Perfect_, whispered an alien voice in her mind.

Her toes touched the air, escaping off the cliff and into the air. But she stopped by then. She tried to control herself; she couldn't jump. It looked so high, so painful…deathly painful. She was able to reach into her face and take in a deep breath of air that smelled of ocean water and free air. It was invigorating.

"Wait, Azula! Don't!"

She turned just the slightest at the sight of Gia running through the trees with two guards on either side of her. Was there anyone else? She turned away once she saw Gia stop while the guards did not. Azula acted instinctively and a moment afterward decided now was good.

Now, she would fall. Possibly to her death, fall into the water because she had no control. And there was nothing to do about it.

Her body lurched forward as Gia's voice screeched into the wind as she warned Azula again, although probably knowing how useless that was. Her arms stretched outward, her body now forming a lower case "t." She had turned and saw Gia's horrified face, surrounded by several people before her body jumped into the air.

And she fell and fell, down, down, down into the wide sea. Harsh air slapped her face and tossed her hair everywhere. Adrenaline burst out, and she screamed, but out of enjoyment. She felt like she was flying, flying straight into the mouth of the dark ocean.

Then the water swallowed her deep, hurting her head a bit on the impact. She landed headfirst, and she was swimming. Her arms moved, and her legs moved. It took a moment to realize that Azula had control over her body again, and that she was persistent to get back up and get the air her lungs were begging for. She wanted to live, she wanted to live…

Her head resurfaced, and the quiet below made the new sounds above sound almost deafening. Waves crashed against the cliff and sharp rocks, and a new voice entered her mind. "Azula? Azula! Azula!" it cried again and again, getting louder as time elapsed. But it wasn't Gia. It was another…a man's…

Azula felt like calling but was sucked in the water. Her mouth watered and then burned with the water that entered her lungs. She forced her head upward, getting any air she could, even the littlest amount. When she had a chance, she took a large gulp of air, sounding strange as she came out.

The sound stopped the voice's calling. A beat or two later, a head appeared. It was so high; she couldn't even see the man's face. The pale face that it belonged to popped out onto the edge, peering down. Their eyes met, and Azula had a strange feeling who that was, but she didn't put too much faith in that. She still felt the sea eating her and trying to kill her. The waves continued to toss her aside like a worthless, lifeless doll.

Azula moved her arms, trying to recollect how to swim; damn, she didn't even remember how to swim well. But she flailed her arms, feeling the exhaustion slowly make her arms feel sore, and her legs ache from kicking endlessly.

She couldn't stop. She couldn't. The emptiness was gone, and her emotions returned, as did her reason to live. Once it returned, she never felt so glad for anything. She needed her strength. She just had to live. She could only wait for the seas to calm and let her do as she pleased.

But then a large wave pushed her, and Azula was powerless to do anything. Something slammed against her top arm, and pain surged through her whole arm. It flowed into the rest of her body as the sharp thing stabbed her some more. Her body felt numb and cold and weak. She felt like nothing would work and that there was nothing she could do. Azula could feel the tears ready to come out.

More water blistered her lungs and made her gasp for more air. Her legs and arms were tired. She felt sleepy. Nothing's working, she thought darkly, so why am I trying so hard?

And with that, she gave up. She stopped moving, only breathing in the air until the water came up to her face.

When it did, she felt her heart ready to explode as well as her lungs. Darkness started to cover her vision and her world and her life. She whispered to herself, ignoring the pain it brought, good-bye. She had no idea why she was saying it, and had no idea who she was saying it to.

Her eyes closed as her body became limper and possibly lifeless. But before she slipped into unconsciousness, something flashed into the water, just in front of her. Azula had no time to react and had no energy; she was already plunging into darkness ready to fall into the arms of Death.

* * *

><p>…<em>Aren't I supposed to be dead?<em>

There was darkness. Only darkness. There was no pain, just…nothing. But also confusion. She never imagined death or how it would feel or how it would come to her-in fact, she laughed at it- but this didn't feel like it.

_I have to be. How could I have survived that?_

But then light appeared. And it grew…and grew. It shone bright into her eyes, close to a blinding way.

Her eyes opened, and she returned to the world.

Nurses and Dr. Kiko stood around her, who was lying in bed with a soft blanket warming her. She was shivering, and her eyes darted to every nurse, and finally her doctor. They all reacted differently; relived, happy, and she saw Tai-Mali gasp, but Azula was unsure what exactly she was thinking. She saw her doctor, and she saw how disappointed he was.

"What happened? I thought I…" she began, but how could she explain it any further? She hardly had any idea what went on in those moments where she would have greeted death to get away from the pain. Plus, she knew she would be in trouble for coming so close to attempting suicide.

"I saw you," Gia told her. Even upon seeing Azula awaken, her expression hadn't changed, still hardened. "You seemed to be in a trance, heading out into the forest. Even though you were allowed outside, I had a feeling I needed to see what you were doing. It was...strange, you were. Definetely something was up. I got help as fast as I could before I went over. Luckily, you were still there when I got back."

"Who saved me?" Azula wasn't sure if she should be grateful for her savior, or hate him or her for many other reasons no one would understand-not these nurses, anyway.

Two nurses moved aside, revealing a patient. A patient she could never comprehend, someone she felt conflicting and changing emotions towards, stepped forward. Okay, she felt the hate more than the gratefulness-forever, she thought.

"So, what, you jumped in, too?" she asked harshly, feeling the anger creep in her throat. Everything had gone smoothly-aside from rocks being involved-without him.

"I didn't jump. I held onto the edge and skidded down," Takeo replied, rolling his eyes. "I went on the rocks and grabbed you since you were close to the rocks, and I went back up."

He answered like it was all easy. For Azula, it sounded like a crazy challenge, and she had no clue if he's succeed. "Why you?"

"I offered to."

"And w-?"

"Azula, please, stop," Dr. Kiko interrupted. His tone, having grown dark and snippy, stung her a bit, which did shut her up. "You were badly hurt, especially in your arm." And he pointed.

Sure enough, once she recognized it, the pain stabbed her left arm like a weak knife. The top part of her arm was in bandages. But that was the only place the pain was. After her jump, there really wasn't anything else? She almost felt disappointed about that.

One-by-one, many nurses left. In a minute, only in the room were Gia, Takeo, and Dr. Kiko. "So what happened, Azula? Why did you jump?" Dr. Kiko asked, his voice strained. He never looked so dissatisfied, even while staring at Azula.

"It wasn't me, but I don't know what!" she defended herself, nearly jumping out of bed. She was furious that she had no idea what overcame her, and that she couldn't defend herself properly. "I woke up and just felt like I couldn't control myself! But it's not like I wanted to do it, but I couldn't stop myself. You have to believe me." She could feel the hysteria ready to escape her lips, ready to escape her whole being, but she had to stop it. Not now…please not now.

Dr. Kiko sighed, his face too monotonous to assure Azula of his feelings about that, of the fact that he believed her, of something good to help her.

"Azula, you can go to your room now, if you please."

Her face fell with the little hope that she received in the little time she waited for his reply. She curled her hands into fists, and got out of the bed and to her room. Her footsteps were loud against the quiet hallways she passed as she stomped across the corridors to her room.

Takeo came into step with her. "So how are you?" he asked, and she saw that he was being careful around her, hesitant to be next to her.

He sounded sincere, which caught her by surprise. But she wasn't taken too aback to reply, "Fine. Cold, though. That water wasn't too refreshing. Although if you want, you can jump in to believe me. I'll push." Venom spit from her words, and she quickened her pace.

But he went faster, too, his eyes wide. "Hey, what's the problem? I just saved your life! Shouldn't I at least get a thank you? Is that so hard?" he continued.

"Thank you," Azula said acidly, arms crossed. She turned away. "Now leave."

He didn't reply for a moment. "Would you rather have me just let you drown in the water?" he then said.

Azula stayed silent, her head still facing away. He was already taking guesses, and he was right.

But her silence only made him continue and analyze her situation and what was going on in her mind. She couldn't see his face but could imagine how serious it might be. "Well…Didn't you want to be saved?"

This was the question she feared, not from Takeo, though. It would be from Dr. Kiko, she had guessed. He was the questioning one, the one who cared for her the most-or, the one who was getting paid to listen to her problems and probe nosily into her complicated life. She stopped stiff, and Takeo stopped a few footsteps ahead.

Takeo's eyebrow jumped into his shaggy hair. Her reaction was her answer. "Well," said Takeo, "I guess that happens. I've tried it once, but someone saved me. People still save you, though."

"But why?" she demanded. "Why does anyone care when we just want all of this to end?"

He shrugged. "I dunno why certain people save someone else, but surely if someone is saved, then the…I don't know, the world must have a reason to let that person live."

She couldn't believe what he had said. They sounded so real, so true, but she didn't want to believe it. Besides, that wasn't exactly what she was asking. But he didn't get it…and he probably wouldn't. She sighed at him and walked away.

**Random note: the beginning of this chapter is something I had written much before I actually made it into the teen chapters. Which is weird, because it's not so much the climax of the story, actually. Just something I came across. For some reason it was something I had in mind before it all. Not too much has changed except for proofreading and editing. **

**This is an extra-long chapter, with a lot happening, obviously. But that just means more to review, so R&R, because not only does it take not too long, but it makes my day. Thanks, everyone. :)**


	21. Chapter Twenty

**Hey, everyone. Or you know, whoever is left reading this story after so long. I should say, we're coming very close to the end. Not after a few chapters, but it won't be too long before you know it. **

**After softball training, I'm exhausted but I had to post something because I felt bad. So enjoy (you know, as long as you find it enjoyable XD) and review. :D**

Chapter Twenty

Too Much to Handle

Just a week after all…of that, December 21st, Azula found who she needed to talk to. It was enough hiding and pretending everything was okay. It was all a wreck. She knew that. But no one would believe her if she said it, unless they really had gotten to know her over the years. Or months, months was alright here.

He didn't see her, his back turned, but she spoke to him anyway. She didn't have to address herself. "I didn't do it."

Takeo's head snapped up from his drifting off as he sat on the edge of the beach. He turned and saw Azula. He wasn't surprised, as she requested to see him there; she wanted to be alone when she told him. And this was the only place Azula could think of when she thought of the word 'quiet.' "What do you mean?"

"I didn't try to kill myself," she repeated. Why was there a lump in her throat? Why was it hard to speak? She couldn't be nervous, for she had nothing to be nervous of…right? That was NOT like her.

But it was not like she was the exact same person she saw long ago. Some things have changed. But how much?

"Really? Then who tried to kill you by you committing suicide?"

She observed his face, wondering what his tone meant. She gaped at how vitriolic it was. Trying to joke around right then. She growled in his face, "I'm not kidding, Takeo! Just give me a second to explain or else I'll find a way to kick your ass without anyone to find out."

Takeo's eyebrows jumped. He shrugged. "Fine. Go on."

How could she form these words? How could she explain this without sounding like a whacko? With Lya gone, she could sound crazy with her thoughts. But she sighed and let them out without another thought. "I think what Lya said about these ghosts and what happened to me are connected," she explained.

"So you…you think that a ghost tried to kill you?" Takeo guessed slowly, his face incredulous as his guess came to him.

"And Lya hanging herself," Azula added, passing the harsh words without a single reaction. "Maybe that's the same, too. I'm sure I'm starting to get this-but believing isn't going to get me anywhere." She slammed her head on her fists in frustration. She thought she was close, only she was too far. "I thought I could do this…but how can I do this now?"

"Lya's dead," Takeo murmured, agreeing with Azula. "She was the only way we could get to finishing this."

Azula wondered momentarily if Takeo even remembered his challenge between the two a while ago? That hadn't even crossed her mind until moments ago. Did it even matter? Suddenly, it seemed as if the mystery was too good for a bet to take over. Not to mention Dr. Kiko's deal with her…that was forgotten, too. Did that matter?

No, all she needed at that very moment was trying to release the confusion from her brain and have everything make sense.

It was like there was one piece missing, something that was brought up somewhere, somehow, a piece of the past. Not too far in the past, either…

Azula shut her eyes, squeezing them very sharply, trying to come up with something. Her mind shifted around, as if flashes of images could appear and help her however slightly. Something had to be there. She just had to remember it. If only it was that easy-

Then it hit her.

She looked over at Yun Ko as it came to her, as the sight of Lya, weak and shaking and hysterical in her bed. She was leaning toward Azula with tears covering her red face. Through vibrating lips and barely audible words, Azula could hear the words Lya said, but tried not to think about them. The words were not too significant, once the thought came to her.

Without any warning for Takeo, Azula straightened up and headed out back to the asylum. She had to hurry before it left her mind and never came back. Maybe it could, if Lya's idea about powerful ghosts came true and tried to mess with her. Her mouth shut, as she realized it was gaping in shock before.

She headed for Lya's bedroom after a few flights of stairs, which was unlocked and lifeless. Azula tried not to have her heart sink or feel anything-that was easy, at least, a long time ago-as she saw how isolated it was, how dark it was. Another of the evil tradition carried. What if she were next? Or Takeo? What if her bed would be empty forever next, and not because she returned home?

She shook the memory away and walked over to the bed. Takeo followed in, eyes wide at her like she had three arms, not two. "What was that? Had you totally lost it?" he said with a slight pant in his voice.

"You're asking like you're unsure."

He came behind her as Azula pulled the bed's mattress up. Her eyes searched rapidly, hoping, begging, that nothing was taken behind it. She didn't know what it was, but how could she forget when Lya warned her of the evil, when she asked Azula to take a look under the bed when "her time had come."

"She knew she would die soon," Azula realized with more astonishment causing her octave to lower to just a whisper. With Takeo very close to her, he could hear, though.

Another weird look. "She? Who? …Lya?"

She nodded curtly. And finally, she threw the whole mattress to the other side of the floor. There it was.

A book, not quite thick, with a brown cover. Dust danced in the air and atop the book, and Azula took the book quickly. Azula coughed as the dust entered her lungs. Takeo took a step back. Azula opened the door before Takeo could come back forward.

She read the writing and immediately took a guess, but she was sure she was right. "It's a diary," Takeo answered for her.

She opened it, wondering where to start. Then Takeo reached over her shoulder, his breath brushing her cheek-ignore it! She turned back to the book as Takeo flipped the papers from the beginning right to the last page with words written in black ink. He pointed and then put aside a few other papers back in time. Right at the beginning. "Start there," he said. Another breath of air in her ear.

She sighed and began to read. The first words were the date, of just this year, a week ago exactly. However, she never got far from that when the door opened again. There was no one else they knew that knew they were located in there. Takeo went stiff in his position, his breathing slowing.

However, Azula knew better. She twirled around with a fake, sweet smirk, the book behind her back. Whoever it was would not want her to be here, looking through what was left in Lya's room. Takeo saw her expression and blinked, wondering what was going through her mind probably. Her slyness was something Takeo had yet to comprehend. Maybe he'll start now…

A familiar faced but unnamable nurse appeared at the door with a bemused look. She had a book in her arms, and a bad through another, the doorknob held in her long hands. With narrowed brows, she asked, "And who are you two?" she demanded shrilly, tossing the door from her grasp and marching in. "I heard that this room is currently unattended-so get out."

"Of course," Azula spoke in a gentle voice, her smirk destroying the sincerity-if the nurse had known her well like Takeo. Once Takeo understood, and saw the book in her hands behind her back, he nodded. "We were just visiting this place because of an old friend who was here."

"What's with the bed?" the nurse probed with accusing eyes.

"It was like that when we got here," Takeo replied. He shrugged to try to make his life flow a bit smoother.

It didn't work. "I-" The woman's face scrunched up in anger. "Just get out or I'll report you both."

Azula was not in the mood. Staring at the book only darkened her mood, made her curious and anxious; just when she thought she didn't care. And she was still angry with Takeo. She walked out first in an angry stride. Takeo came behind her after a moment's hesitance.

When they went into the hallway, she turned over to him and leaned toward him. She whispered, "I'm going to look at this…alone." She emphasized the last part to get it in his head, and headed toward her room.

"Azula."

She glared back at him over her shoulder. "What?"

"That dinner…you know that wasn't what Lya had in mind, right?" he asked.

Her heart sank-why, she had no clue. But she did want to know why he asked this now. She blinked at him before nodding. "Yes, I'm aware of that. I didn't want it to anyway." She tried to sound casual, but it didn't quite sound like she wanted. Still… "What did you want it to be like, then?"

"Just friends hanging out. Besides…she talked me into it. I just wished I knew why she chose you. I wouldn't have minded going with her. Maybe then," he said, wincing, "she would have been safe."

"Why are you telling me this? I understood it the first time, alright? I honestly couldn't care less," Azula told him with her face right in his, her voice almost a hiss.

"You don't seem to not care," said Takeo, his eyebrows turned into slits.

"Then you're misunderstanding."

"You're just being ignorant. If you told me, trust me, it would get ten times easier for all of us."

"Not for me," Azula said with fire everywhere in her body. She had the image of her first time in Yun Ko, how she had Takeo pinned down, and she was so close to take him down, to scar him very painfully, almost like how her father scarred her brother. The fear in his eyes as she saw the blue fire in her hands reflected in his expanded brown eyes.

She hated him so much then. And now…now she had no idea what to think. So why was she with him and not feeling like murdering him or…something? How had they become friends when it started like that? When she did not want any friends and wanted to be free?

A lot has changed. But how much had she changed? And not just in her personality…

She glared at him just a moment longer and turned to leave when Takeo grabbed her wrist.

"And why not?" Takeo asked, forcing her to turn back. When she did not respond, he said, "Hey, I'm not your doctor. It's different to talk to somehow who actually gives a shit about you."

"It's just…completely confusing," Azula said slowly, using her available hand-since Takeo still had her wrist trapped in his hand-to clutch her head. "And I don't know what to do about it."

"You're about as confusing as Lya now. And what's got ya' so confused?"

She shook her head, giving him a look before saying, "How we can stand each other. And…how you seem…human."

Takeo thought about that for a minute before nodding. "Okay, I'll take that. Thanks, but…I still don't get it."

"So much has changed in a few months, and I don't know what to think of it," Azula went on, not staring him in the face. When she saw his face anymore, it was not like wanting to punch his face. It was much different. And it hurt her head to think too much about it. She wanted to leave right then.

"It can't be that bad."

She hesitated, but decided to stay something. With a hard face, Azula asked, "Tell me something."

"What?"

"When we first met, you just seemed like a seriously messed up boy who would blow up by the simplest things. Now…you don't seem at all like him at all. How could have changed like that?"

Takeo was taken by the question for just a moment, but his reply was not hesitant. Unlike Azula, he had nothing to hide. "Because that crazy guy you met first was not me. I'm not always like that-you know, as long as you don't mess with me. And…it was easy to calm myself…well, sort of. Not really, I guess. I've been in here for longer than you have, so it seems impossible, I suppose. But I've been here long enough to learn from my mistakes. Plus, I've had help-and not just from doctors. It's not just the doctors and nurses who help you heal."

There was a pause that he cut into when he then asked, "Why are you asking this?"

"I just need to distract my mind. It's not getting any better," Azula said grimly.

Takeo chortled. "It ain't that easy. You just kind of need to fight it off. Otherwise, you won't be able to get outta here and not be called a crazy person. …Th-that is what you're talking 'bout, isn't it?" he hesitated, but his sentence was cut off again, but not by words.

She had no idea what she was thinking, or where her real instincts that made her Azula had disappeared to, but Azula made the biggest mistake she ever made; reaching out for his face and having her lips meet his.

She was on her toes, since he was a bit taller than her, but other than that, she had nothing against this…at first. It was just a moment, the kiss-or maybe longer. She had no idea where the time went when stars exploded in her head. And she had no idea what her mind was thinking of this. She was just in another world.

But then she returned, and felt the room spin-in a bad way. Takeo's face was full of shock-but what kind of shock? She wondered what her face looked like. She was, after all, disappointed with herself for doing this. And also horrified. How could she do this?

She left without another word, back into her room. Takeo remained stranded in the hallway, and she didn't observe his face before she shut the door and fell down against her for just a few minutes.

Azula's chest heaved as she felt the slightest of heat rise, and she let go. In her reaction, she tossed the book across the floor. She forgot it was there and paid more attention to problems she caused.

Why, why, WHY did she do that? For the first time, she was furious with herself-not Takeo or anyone else. She was the one who pushed herself to kiss him, the instinct overcoming the ones against it. And she was back in her room, wishing she could disappear or never leave her room again. Her mind was not her own at that moment, and she knew this building was making her change for the worse.

After a few moments of standing with a stoic face with flaring nostrils, she took notice of the book again. The book had almost been totally forgotten, but after a while, she realized it was still there on the floor where she hurled it.

To get away from this world, she found herself staring into it immediately, ready to discover everything Lya wanted her to know but could never say.


	22. Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty-One

The Written Truth

Azula noticed how this book dated back only around a week until Lya killed herself. But Azula didn't bother so much about it and just immediately started reading, sitting at the edge of her bed. She wondered what was inside, what lurked in the mind of the mysterious, odd child.

The writing was small, in barely distinguishable writing. Azula had to squint to really understand what was written:

_December fifteenth_

_So it is happening. I knew it. I'm not a dumb person like many think. And on my birthday, too. Happy birthday to me… _

_I keep seeing her, with dead eyes and no heart. Worse than ugly ghosts, in my opinion. I asked for a diary from my nurse to keep track of the craziness inside me, and she decided to give me one without really thinking about it. I wonder how things'll go from here. It won't be pretty, I know that. But this diary isn't just to write random stuff for me. I have some explaining to do. And when words fail me, writing wins._

_In the beginning, when Azula came, I had no idea what to think. I knew who she was. Crazy exiled princess Azula. There had to be more. So like I did with everyone, I tried to talk to her, see if she could help. I'm not sure how I could tell, just comes. But she seemed different from others, definitely. Something about her…just different._

_I'm tired, and too much could awaken her. I have to be careful. Another night._

_December, sixteenth_

_Boy, where's this supposed to go from now? I'm nervous. But maybe I'll make sense of it eventually. Now I have to get ready for maybe the worst thing I've ever done in my life! I don't like tricking people, and I'm not very good at it anyway. But maybe it'll work out. If it does, I know I'll hate myself .It'll be worth it, though, right?_

_I can't let anyone else get near that spirit. _

_I spoke about it with Takeo before, trying to convince him into it. But he doesn't seem to into it. He believes to think it would seem like, well, how I want Azula to see it. That's the only way she might go, but not how he wants it. It's such a big problem, and I know if I do make it, I'll get hell for it. But I probably won't. Vietta's totally growing power. _

_That's her name. Vietta. A demon who lived in this asylum at a young age. A murderer, and one who probably didn't know how bad it was, she was so young. I learned as much as I could about her, even sneaked off to the restricted library in the doctor's office. One of the doctors had actually written something about her, what happened to her, and what she did. Once she started reaching into my mind, I wanted to get out of this. _

_And now…she wants revenge. That's all I know. Why, how, I don't know. I wish I did, though. It's not like they have actual books about this girl-ones that had all the answers. If only_

_December, seventeenth_

_I was cut off yesterday. Darn. I don't even remember what I was going to write. Even when I look back, it's barely a blur. _

_Aside from that, I feel just terrible. But not because I'm ill. It's something else. Azula and Takeo will never forgive me. Azula the most, she's so temperamental. But I know I'll hurt Takeo the most. _

_It worked to get them out of the asylum for a dinner at Shaling. I hate lying, it almost seems like I'm manipulating them. Ugh, it even looks horrible to write! But this time, I know it's for the best. I feel like I know what would happen if they stayed; and it would not be pleasant. At least, any more pleasant than it would be if they did go. _

_I wish I could tell someone about this. It really does pain me to even be silent. Like the world is nothing more but a blur, and everyone else sees everything clearly. _

_I know he likes me. Takeo just stares at me like that, and when I mentioned Azula about the dinner, I saw his eyes lose that spark whenever he talks to me. I know he's liked me even though months ago we got into a huge fight. Odd world I live in. But we've both changed from that. How, I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with Azula coming. _

_December eighteenth_

_I can feel it. I feel so down, so empty. Except Vietta cannot get to me when I'm writing, since she can only to my mind and not my arms. Ha. I can still feel like I'll be going soon. You can just feel your energy dying when it happens, like you have no energy to live anymore. Really sucks, but it's not hard to be persuaded by such a spirit. If only I could say something._

_But I have to be careful. One word could make it all worse, as in she could just attack right then and there. And that's not what I want to happen. _

_Good thing Takeo and Azula won't be around. I couldn't allow that. They'd try to stop me, and it would only make things worse…or better for the spirit. _

_The spirit. She's getting stronger. If I could fight her, I would. But she's got her strings on me, like a puppet master. And she's actually cocky enough to let herself be known and seen. So strange, like she doesn't know I can tell she's a spirit. No one else can, though. She hides her face by sitting by the window in the front room. Always still, and even her black hair won't move with the breeze outside. If you stare long enough, you could tell. But also you could feel faint, so I don't do it too much._

_It hurts to write this; she's getting even to this diary. She can see it. She's definitely becoming stronger. Way more than I thought. Definitely not a good thing._

_But Takeo and Azula could fight her. I know it. They're way tougher than I am, and they…they can just do it. _

_I've done what I could. There's enough._

_Azula, Takeo-you can do it. Just stick together and show how great you both are. I don't know how well you guys fight. Well, I guess I do, after that fight in the quiet room all those months ago. Hopefully, you're better than THAT. And you can take down Vietta, and don't doubt her evil soul, though. -_

It ended there. Azula saw a line written, a horizontal line, but it was cut off before it could be finished.

Azula stared in amazement, unsure just what caught her by surprise the most. She tried to think about what all of this meant.

Lya made Takeo go, but only to keep the two safe. She knew they would try to save her if they stayed, and it would only make things worse. She knew she would die, and decided to do it then. How could she have known she was dying? There was still some questions running in Azula's mind.

…Like why say Takeo liked her when he didn't? When Takeo really liked Lya? It only made it all ten times worse for Takeo and herself. Lya was only fourteen then…she was too young to really think her plan out. Some plan!

But now, Azula had everything figured out. A spirit, ready to escape the asylum where she was killed, trapped in this place unless she had the power. A spirit who would not let her say anything. A spirit willing to kill people for what she wanted. And a spirit that she had actually seen before, right in front of her eyes.

Despite what she seemed like, and what she said to herself, Lya was definitely a tough person. Just not on the outside. Because now, Azula had everything figured out. But could she really defeat-?

The book was swept aside suddenly, the air squeezing her fingers. The book slipped down and skidded across the floor. A brush of air suddenly exploded in the room, blowing her hair back and the blankets went flying, right off her body. She barely flinched, but she still couldn't help but feel even the shock.

She got up to retrieve the book.

Azula was unable to fight her gasp as black clouds overwhelmed her and pushed her backward. But she had a feeling her body was not falling back. Something of a strange dream, forced-she had a feeling what it was from.

She was in her mind, definitely, even though the darkness was everywhere and it was impossible to see anything. She had that feeling.

Yet she still heard a voice. Very familiar now that she began to notice it. _Get away while you still can!_ A voice shouted, but Azula was not surprised. She knew it was in her head, yet it was not her doing, not even her unconscious. It almost seemed normal; yeah, that wasn't insane at all, totally typical.

But that didn't mean Azula accepted this. Not a bit. "No, I'm so close, I can get this! Get out of my mind, now!" Azula shouted.

She noticed the voice, took it in. Maybe she could find out something. But all that she could detect was that it was a squeal-y child's voice that made screeches similar to bird's when she shouted in a high octave. Nothing familiar she could figure out.

_Please. I get what I want somehow, always. I cannot be defeated._ The voice sounded smooth and overconfident, much like her, only much too brash. After all, Azula knew what to say after that, knew when to say it, and how to use it. One could easily tell that this voice was playing.

"I've beaten you once. I can do it again!"

_A boy barely saved you. Huge luck. Nothing more. It'll be different next time. I know it._ She could almost see the indescribable, faceless face smirk wide red lips-the only describable feature-at the thought of evil crossing her unreadable mind. Azula wished she could dig through this creature's mind and find out everything like she could.

The voice laughed. _I've seen plenty instead your mind; your flaws, your broken emotions, your defeats. Poor thing. You've been through a lot. Why not just get it all over with-_

"I'm not that mindless! I know what you're trying to get at. I know your game, because I've done the same thing. Only I wouldn't kill anyone for it."

_Your brother…that Water Tribe freak?_ The voice reminded her jokingly, maliciously. She could image the grin widening. Because Azula knew it was true.

That didn't mean she was ready to admit it; besides, she knew how to counter her words. "Never mind that. Things have changed-like me. But something that hasn't changed is that I'm still strong and powerful. I can beat you," Azula fought back as she tried so hard to wake up, find this monster, and beat it like she promised. She knew plenty now.

What she wanted to know was who this was.

Just the thought of what she wanted was enough for the voice to hear. _You won't find out. I won't let you._

Azula smirked. An idea came into her head, but she put it aside in fear the voice might catch her in the act. "But I will. It's that easy. I have enough evidence. I might figure out…any minute now," she taunted.

_Shut up._

The voice was slipping, losing its sangfroid. But Azula's was only gaining hers, victorious in this battle. She always had the upper hand that way. That wouldn't change, and she would make sure of that. "I have everything to figure out in Lya's diary; I just might find a way to make sure you never bother anything else ever again."

_I WON'T LET YOU FIND OUT! _

Foolish move. The demon's bird screech made her dream vibrate. It crumbled and shattered, all the blackness shifting and stretching into another kind of blackness. Azula could tell the difference. And the creature's silence gave her confidence. The sea of strange sleep went up, the air stabbing her skin as she went up, and back to reality. As she went up.

_No!_

Azula opened her eyes and instantly got up and eyed the room.

The silence that followed her was too odd, unbelievable. It also felt cold, yet it was never cold in here, even in the winter. This only made her more expected to find…whatever it was. And the ominous cold, it felt like it was coming from something close.

A figure silhouetted in the darkness of the night was right beside her in a literal blink of an eye. The wind whispered in her face, and the moon was revealed in the window, bright against the dark room.

It was bright enough to bring the shadowy figure to life, giving it a detailed description and a face and clothes. The Spirit of Yun Ko was revealed.

**Yeah, yeah, an evil spirit. Hope you didn't expect anything else. Go figure. I'm not one who is quite so creative but I use what I have in my mind, which is to me enough. Plus, I have a strange obsession with ghosts and sixth senses. XD So, review! You guys rock. :D**


	23. Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

The Spirit Awakened

This human spirit was…Azula had no way to explain it. It didn't even look like a spirit should, which was beyond scary. Instead, it had an ambiance of strangeness to it. She definitely didn't know the dark, empty eyes that covered most of her face or the tan complexion that hid behind the gray that was the key to tell the difference between the living and the dead. The glare that narrowed the female child's thin eyebrows and contort her face made her face crack in several places.

However, something about it brought her attention closer. Long black curls bounced against the cherubic yet frail faced child. There weren't so many children in the asylum-not ones she paid close attention to.

"Finally, you decide to show your face. I almost thought of you as a coward," Azula responded coolly.

The child smirked, staying still without even a breath. "Well, when you tricked me into breaking your dreams, I really didn't have a choice. But I stayed because you just seem different; you resist me when no one else has and made me reveal myself," the child spoke in an octave opposite her ambiance. "But you seem so confident about this. Do you even know who I am? Even after all of that." She pointed at the diary on the floor.

"I have, actually," Azula said. "You're that little girl who was always staring out a window. Correct me if I'm wrong." Her arms crossed.

The girl grinned wider. "Yes. My real name is Vietta. A little kid who…stayed longer than I intended," she added with her gray lips pursed. She tried to be playful, but the darkness inside her, the demon that took the child and formed her into its own, made her just sound evil. "That window-that was always what I did when I was here," she said, half absentmindedly staring afar at the thought. "Hoping I'd leave someday. But I was never a good girl, so that never happened." Her expression, her maturity was almost scary coming from a nine, maybe ten year old body. Azula got from her bed and took a step back from the odd creature.

"What did you do?" Why was she asking this? A distraction? She wasn't even sure. She just felt that it was necessary.

The child rubbed her chin, faking pondering, her eyes shut to reveal long lashes. "Well, it's nothing you'd expect from a child my age. I would've gotten away with it at my age of…six, I believe." Darkness colored her eyes as quickly as they disappeared back to the gray. "The pictures were what set them off. Here; I'll show you. Share my pain."

She held out her hand, and suddenly, the room was gone. Not dark or scary, but calm and simple. But Azula had a feeling there were more sinister things about to come. She tried to close her eyes, make things go away, but Vietta overpowered her and forced her eyes open unless they blinked.

It was a house, nothing impressed or heavily decorated. A child-a familiar child-was entertained only by drawing on the hardboard, naked floor, with parchment and a blank quill, and also a red quill. Her smile was sweet, but Azula saw the evil that was behind those icy eyes of hazel.

"Vietta," a voice called out, and suddenly, a faceless figure came out. Vietta couldn't remember the face, only that it was her mother. And the mother leaned down and wondered what she was doing. Vietta flinched and tried to cover the picture with her petite body, her thin eyebrows narrowed, a threat in that young child's face.

But the mother already saw and forced the child aside. Vietta was thrown against the wall against her mother's force. She got up and ran over to her mother, but the mother had already seen it in perfect vision. Azula then got a perfect close up of the picture.

It did not appear as child's work, that was certain. They weren't stick figures or circles for the people. No, Vietta made perfect heads, glowing eyes, wispy hair, and plausible shapes of bodies. And the details of what else were on there only got better…or worse, depending on how one looked at it.

In the first picture, on the front-Azula noticed there were scribbles in the back-were two girls. One with colored in black hair, the other forming a bob. And while the child's smile was sweet, her whole look sweet, what she was doing to the other was nowhere near sweet.

In the black haired girl's hand was a knife, and it was dug into the other's chest. And lines were made to appear like the dagger was going down all the way on the person's front. The person dying had circles for eyes, not black, and appeared lifeless. The red was everywhere, dripping from the chest to the bottom of her toes.

In the second part of the picture, there was a pile of dead bodies, all marked with some stains of red blood, and dead, circled eyes. And the same child who had the knife in the previous picture was smiling sweetly beside the pile, as if unaware at all of the debris she created beside her.

The woman stared at her, and though her face was blocked, there had to be an expression of shock and mortification. She grabbed Vietta's arm and forced her onto her feet. She forced the girl out of the room, spluttering nonsense that gave away obvious horror.

There was no more images, only Vietta's voice. They returned to Azula's room. "I had no idea it was bad. It was just for fun. And yes, I actually did all of that, thinking the other person was having fun. Hehe. I did the pictures to recall all that happened," she explained with another smirk. "I admitted it all, and they sent me here. For the rest of my short life, I lived here.

"I never did it again, but they kept me anyways for it; in case I gave it a go again." Her smirk stretched all across her face, evil enough to possible make Azula's father flinch even a little.

Azula tried not to let fear overcome her. "So you stayed until you died there…and why did you stay after that? Why waste your time here when you hated it so much?"

The child gaped. "It was not a choice to stay. I had not enough…power, I suppose. But I never got to the Spirit World-and besides," she put in with a wider stare toward Azula, who kept her posture strong against the terror that this woman created, "maybe after a while, I chose to stay. 'Cause I learned something."

This caught Azula in a moment of confusion. It was not something she had expected. "And what is that?"

"What I lacked before I can get," Vietta explained vaguely, "it comes with a price, but it's worth it, you know? You understand what it's like to do just about anything for power."

"But what are you doing?" Azula said through narrowed eyes.

"Why does it matter to you?" Vietta snapped with a sharp turn of her head. "Why are you asking these questions? Answer mine now!"

"You choose to answer these questions-that's your own fault. And I'm not answering yours," Azula replied.

Vietta turned back around, her dress-wider against her petite body-swishing against her movement. She gave a hoarse laugh. "True. I guess I want to brag about what I've learned. Not many people talk to me anymore-except that one girl I recently took away."

Azula had no doubt that that was Lya. Azula choked back anger at how calmly Vietta spoke of her death, but she also noticed her choice of words.

"Are you saying you killed her?"

"I'm very persuasive, aren't I? I've done it to you, as well, so don't sound like it's impossible. But…with you, I learned that with people around you that sort of care, it's hard. That's why I did it while you and that boy were gone. So you two helped me, though unintentionally."

"She had us leave, and if we stayed, we could have taken you down," Azula threatened.

Vietta shrugged and changed the subject. "I always knew I had more potential than to stay in that place forever. But I never did leave. Couldn't. But…now that I'm dead, I'm hoping to get things my way."

"And what do you want?" Azula asked through narrowed eyes, though she half expected an answer: power.

But the child smiled widely. "You'll see."

And she did, almost instantly. A glow came over the spirit's face, stretching out all the way to her toes. Everywhere, she glowed brightly enough to force Azula to squint and look away. It only lasted for a moment, but it still was not anything ordinary that Azula wanted to take jokingly. She did not like where this was going.

When Azula turned back, when the glow disappeared, she gaped at what had happened, why the glow appeared. And in Vietta's place was a woman of many differences than the child she was just moments ago. More tall than short, more beautiful than cute, more lean than chubby faced, more malicious looking than strangely and innocently sly. It was almost like a whole different person, except for the lifeless gray eyes and face and the black ringlets that now stretched to her waist. A gorgeous transformation she created on her own.

She stretched out her hands, like it was the first time she had seen them. The smirk widened, full of a new kind of malevolence. If it could get any darker, it happened as she poked her hip out and turned around to see the window.

"Before you know it, I could escape here like a real human, ready to take on the world as a powerful and amazing woman. Not some stupid forever child. And I could grow stronger…just by doing the same for everyone else," Vietta mused with her eyes shut. Azula ran over to her, curling her fists. "All I needed was one more soul to make me stronger, and with that girl gone, it became easy."

Azula sensed a fight; there was no other way to stop her. Fight and kill the spirit and send her to…wherever spirits are sent when they are killed. Can spirits be killed? She hadn't thought this over so much…but there was always a way. Had to be.

"And why not start with you…and every other pathetic loser in this place?" said Vietta, turning her body around without moving a limb. She tilted her head with an innocent smile that would have worked as a child-though still beyond ominous-but now, it made a crack by her lips appear. The first of more to come from an already decaying spirit body.

Vietta noticed this and stared coldly at Azula. What lurked behind those pretty eyes made the face seem no longer gorgeous but just plain hideous. "You first," she whispered again, and in a blur, appeared inches from Azula's face.

Azula immediately raised her hands to blow fire into the woman's face. But the horror Azula came to reigned again.

Her fire was a pale orange and just lame. She cussed silently, trying not to make a face of realizing defeat, and took a step back. Granted, her fire was her biggest strength, but perhaps using her fists could help. It was just a long time since she had done any fighting…

She had tried it before, a while ago, she didn't even remember. And it was as weak as this try. She still had no answers, no one she tried to ask about it. She didn't think it was a big deal; she only needed practice later.

Vietta chuckled. "Like so many, you've starting losing the fire in you by trying to change yourself. But the way I saw it, anger is what makes true, strong flames and power," she explained.

"You're a firebender?" Azula asked, hoping the answer was 'no;' especially with the woman very close to herself.

"No, but…I'm guessing you never got the real story of my death. Why not start another story? Spare time to let you think," Vietta told her. "Well, it was murder. A very angry firebender, here in this place, burned me to death. Pretty painful. But I saw everything from my past when I died, and realized the mistakes I made; such as trying to be friendly to everyone-my naiveté caused my death after all. And I saw the mistakes many others made. I even grew to respect the firebender and his power; he died for killing me, by these people. It was almost unfair to see the workers kill him like how I saw it-although, I died, so I can't like him too much.

"But I can do so much more, being a spirit." Her eyes flashed again.

Vietta raised her fists, causing a rumble into the room, and Azula had no choice but to open the door and escape. She hurried across the dark and lifeless hallway. There was only one other she could turn to. Or at least, it was the first that came to her mind, and she was in a hurry. Thinking this over would just have to wait.

Azula had no idea what would come from at that moment. All she hoped for was an idea to come to her to save herself, because she knew she was in worse trouble than back at her Agni Kai with Zuko-or, really, worse than anything she thought she'd face. And now she was running…running where?


	24. Chapter Twenty Three

Twenty-Three

Nowhere to Run

Azula was glad the doors in this place weren't locked, ever. Before, she would hate them when they burst in when she absolutely didn't want anyone around. Now, she needed someone around. And not just for some odd, comforting feeling of having someone around that didn't hate her.

She ran across the room and saw his shaggy hair all over his pillow. For just the shortest moment, she stared at his peaceful face while he was sleeping. She wondered how he would talk to her when she woke him up; after all, just a few hours before, she kissed him. Then, she returned to reality and shook his shoulders rather violently.

"Takeo, wake up now!" she hissed in urgency through her teeth.

He flipped to have his body face the ceiling above, and his eyes blinked thrice. He rubbed his face and cursed under his breath. He turned and saw Azula's face. "What the hell, Azula? Go away."

He didn't sound too attentive to really talk about that incident, and she was thankful for that; there was no time for that. "Give me a few seconds, first, to explain something to you, Takeo!" Azula demanded.

"I don't care what's going on, it's too early," Takeo excused.

"What's going on?" Azula repeated sharply. "It could be three in the morning, and it wouldn't matter. Because this is too big for time."

"And what's that?" Takeo asked, then got up. He blinked and looked up at her. "This…isn't about…what happened before, is it?" he asked with a grimace.

Azula sighed, holding in her patience because she knew this was too big to let her temper get to her. "No, it's not like that one bit."

"Then what is it?" he asked again, slowly starting to become concerned, slowing absorbing her fear.

"That diary, it explains everything. And now I know, but you just have to follow me on this. A spirit is out to kill me, and Lya said we can both take the spirit down. Just get up!" Azula added loudly, near his ear to get him up.

"A diary helped you figure that out? Prove it. Show me that diary," Takeo said.

"I can't. That spirit is in my room, where the diary is. I am NOT going anywhere near there," Azula replied, pointing at the door. Her room, so close to this one. Just a few short steps, a room in between them. Vietta could be there fast.

Azula became more urgent. How long would it be until she came here? "Please, Takeo, get your lazy ass up, NOW!" Azula again commanded, allowing the urgency to show in her features.

Takeo flipped from his bed, growing angrier by the moment. "Are you freakin' crazy? Isn't there, like, doctors who can take this down? Why are you bothering me?" Takeo exclaimed, although getting out of bed.

"Because that's what Lya tried to do, but this freak stopped her before she could say anything. That's why no one ever said anything; this spirit never gave them a chance. If I asked you for help, she won't feel quite so intimidated," Azula answered, brushing off the sweat that was growing on her forehead with her hand.

"You think we can _kill _this thing by ourselves? Yeah, you are pretty overconfident about yourself, but I'm not getting myself into this," Takeo said, turning away and returning to his bed.

Azula tossed his blanket off the bed and onto the ground. "It's not like this is a huge monster that could spit acid, Takeo. It's some…woman that wants to kill everyone. Since we're the only one who knows this, we have to do it," Azula explained.

"Who the hell's 'we'? I don't know anythin' 'bout this-good night," Takeo said, again turning and trying to get to sleep.

"We don't have time for this, now come with me!" Azula bellowed.

"Then get the hell out and defeat this thing yourself, if you say it's not too deadly," Takeo commented.

"Just listen-!"

But Takeo could not listen, not when the door opened with a loud crash. Takeo's head popped from his bed at the loud sound, and Azula turned around. She could barely move when an explosion made them blind as they hurtled in the air.

The whole side of the building was blown apart, with Azula and Takeo thrown from the third floor and into the fresh, dark air. It was a long fall, and nothing like jumping off the cliff and into the wild ocean. There was no adrenaline, not the kind Azula liked-especially since she knew that she would fall to the hard ground instead of water.

Just a second later, the ground three stories below felt like fire raping her back, absolute pain that made her want to scream, but her voice could not be found. For a moment, she could only stare at the naked black sky and listen into the haunting silence.

She tried to get up but felt paralyzed momentarily. She groaned at the pain. Takeo beside her got his back off the ground, though taking his time and ignoring the pain he had, too. He took several breathes, and she saw him turn over to her.

"Still alive?" he said in a throaty voice.

"Somehow," Azula responded, somehow able to rise despite the knives digging in her back. She stared above at the debris that was falling, and ducked her head. More of the asylum crumbling, innocent lives possibly destroyed in the floors below them, and a creature with insane power ready to destroy everything.

"Still think we can take on that thing?" Now Takeo was on his feet, reaching his hand out to help her back up as well. His head was turned, remaining at his room-his old room, since it was exploded into barely anything.

Azula did not take it and slowly got off the ground. She stared as well, trying not to feel quite so horrified. She thought of the chances, and her face paled just a little; but it was more than she ever admitted defeat. "Hardly."

**Argh, sorry to cut off at such a rather big moment. The next part is going to have a lot, though. It's even cut into two parts, there's a lot that goes on. And I'll try not to keep you guys waiting so long. :)**


	25. Chapter Twenty Four Part One

Chapter Twenty-four

Confrontation

Part One

But the creature came anyway, jumping three floors and not having a single problem with it. She almost floated, and landed with perfect grace. She smirked at the two, but something flashed in her eyes when she made eye contact with Takeo.

When he saw her, and saw her walk over to him, he jumped back, obviously terrified. "So you really brought another into this?" she said in a voice that made Takeo's eyes glow with fear, but he tried very hard to conceal it. Newfound courage was mustered, masking his eyes with a pathetic attempt. Azula couldn't blame him.

"C'mon, you're a man, you should at least try to pretend to be manly and fight back," Vietta taunted.

"I don't fight girls," Takeo countered.

"So this'll be easier!" Vietta squealed with widened eyes, for a moment losing her haunting tone.

Vietta raised a hand, and just a second later, caused a huge gust of air in between Takeo and the spirit. Takeo was blown away, his feet legs high in midair for the shortest moment. He went rapidly through the air, and Azula could only watch as Takeo slammed into a tree. The first fall seemed to be enough, but a second was too much. Takeo tied to get up as he dropped to the ground like a ragdoll, and the tree snapped in half.

"You're not the only one that could fight!" Azula screeched, and stretched out her hands to create long, vine-like flames and attack Vietta. Didn't work, again.

Vietta ran. And Azula almost laughed; was she really running from a fight? How pathetic. She ran after her, now expecting an easy fight as she tossed more flames.

The wretched flames disappeared after a beat of Azula staring at it in incredulity. She glared at it, furious that her flames were weakening at this moment, this very moment. Shit!

However, they kept running. Only until out of nowhere, Vietta stopped.

Vietta raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I didn't want anyone to see me, so I decided to bring us somewhere…safer to fight."

Azula's face, her confidence fell. She had fallen for a simple trick, even one she pulled off against the Avatar and his friends during the Eclipse. A distraction, running, to put the chaser against them. She turned back, almost ready to run forward, but a force kept her here; a force named Vietta.

Azula had to think. She wasn't just skilled in firebending. Lighting was definitely out, though. She doubted she could do that when she couldn't do so much as make a sad flame. But she had gained some other fighting skills from her friends.

She jumped into a tree. Takeo would be fine, she reminded herself as she tried to find him in the trees. She forced herself to look away as she landed into the nearest tree with near perfect grace.

The spirit saw her, though, and smirked. Another crack stretched. And her eyes were suddenly all black, an evil kind of look worsening her appearance. If she weren't wearing a dirty white dress and instead a dark black outside, she could have been a perfect appearing villain.

Against Azula. And the world, but if Azula felt she were in danger, she'd do anything to stop that.

The spirit threw her hand toward her, lunging for her with her body at an impossible speed. A kind of jump into the trees with wind already coming toward her, hands out as her nails became small yet shapr claws. She had to think fast.

Azula ducked beneath the trees with a slide against the ground on her bare feet. She ignored the pain and dashed toward the creature which was done for the quickest moment since she just missed Azula's neck-better than nothing. She saw the creature go through the trees and followed, going atop another branch just in case.

The creature was face to face with her, a wide grin almost touching the sides of her face. "You're a lot more resistance than the other ones. You're different," she replied with malice nearly falling from her tongue.

"Well, I've never met a spirit like you. That's quite different," Azula said sarcastically, barely understand what Vietta was saying. This was a fight; to her, words were useless unless it involved taunting.

As if reading her mind, Vietta said, "Because, I know you will be big power in my soul capturing. More resistance is like more strength; more food for me."

Azula stared at her before punching her in the face. The spirit barely toppled, and used her hands to cause the branch Azula stood on to snap and fall to the ground. Azula almost felt like she stood in the air for the slightest second, even felt the adrenaline that came with the falling.

Azula nearly shrieked, but wouldn't allow defeat. She held tightly onto the one Vietta stood on, digging her nails into wood to keep her tight on. She tried firebending, almost feeling ridiculous for trying, and when that was hopeless, used the acrobat skills she obtained from Ty Lee to flip into the air and smash Vietta in the back.

Vietta waved her hands and fell onto the base, though more gracefully than she should have. She even did her own flip while going down. She smirked at Azula and used another trick to cause not just the branch, but the whole tree, to break and cascade down.

Azula was ready this time. She jumped in the air and landed in another tree, and more gracefully this time.

"Aren't we being a bit of a monkey-cat today?" Vietta taunted.

"It helps to use your surroundings in a fight. I doubt you'd understand," Azula fought back.

"Help!" Takeo suddenly cried out weakly down below, on his knees, which were obviously broken in many places. And it wasn't to Azula; instead, it was to the people inside what remained in the asylum.

Vietta stretched out an arm, pulling like it was a rope. Takeo shrieked, and the spirit waved the air in front of her. She was followed by silence. Takeo was dragged over by an invisible arm, even thrust inches into the air.

She raising her hands into the sky, and the wind gushed out in Azula's direction. Takeo was tossed onto the floor again.

Too powerful, too much for her. Azula fell back from the trees. She ran over to Takeo and shouted against the wind, which was so loud Azula could barely hear herself, "Don't try. We're too far away. It's…only we can stop it!" Azula said to him.

Takeo looked confused, and then he grimaced. "This is not how I planned by time in this asylum."

"Neither had I."

The winds stopped. And Vietta stepped forward, arms reaching out with her nails now rising almost a foot in the air; grown by the pleasure she thought of if they burrowed into one's skin.

This time, Takeo decided to make himself useful, tried to fight back. He tried to punch Vietta, only to see how agile she was, and he wasn't. Then he released flames from his hands.

Vietta tossed the flames aside so easily. And didn't toss, but reflected. Right back at Takeo.

Takeo was surrounded by flames, which were grown by her power. It just about ate him, but disappeared after a few seconds. Still, he was clearly in pain. Vietta turned to him, actually curious as he screamed in pain and tried to get up. Only he couldn't; he winced just by moving them a few inches.

Azula felt anger. She was losing. She didn't like it. And it seemed so easy for the spirit. The anger rose, since Azula no longer wanted it to go away. Anger was power, Vietta was right. And she needed power now very badly.

The flames erupted from her palms like a volcano. She could almost feel the heat they emitted. They were orange, though, not like her usual flames. They were better than before, though. She felt the power, loved it, missed it, once again craved it. She couldn't make it stop.

For a while, she was sure she had Vietta, was doing something to stop her.

Vietta screamed, but it was not in pain. Could a spirit feel pain? Well, Azula was sure they at least melted…maybe. She was going with what her mind wanted; to use as much power as possible to destroy an evil creature. Whatever happened would happen, and if it went on the path she disagreed with, she would find another way. It wouldn't be easy though-

Azula saw a figure head toward her, right into the flames. No, she couldn't…would she?

Azula screamed back as Vietta jumped over the flames and in front of Azula. The flames were in on either side of her. Azula went to move her arms to aim the flames again, but Vietta was a step ahead of her.

Vietta kicked her in the stomach. Azula fell to the ground but caught herself with her hands catching the floor first.

The spirit grabbed her arms and this time, her nails dug into her skin. Azula released flames, but they missed no matter how hard she moved them around. The spirit smashed her foot onto Azula's back, which was already in enough pain.

This time, Azula flipped herself so her back was on the ground, and she tossed another flame at Vietta, who faced it easily. Her dress was burned, and red marks covered her whole body. But she didn't seem too fazed despite that. Azula was doomed.

Could Azula face that fact? No, but really, there was no way to get around this. She groaned, grasping her arms as blood fell from the sides. The pain could no longer just be put aside. It was almost unbearable. It was everywhere. She almost got up but could barely move.

"C'mon, leave her alone, freaky spirit," Takeo taunted, somehow back on his feet, somehow able to talk against the pain he was probably in. His legs were throbbing. "You've taken out enough of your shit out on her. What 'bout me?" he smirked.

Vietta looked over to her, but seemed to like the idea. Killing two birds with one stone; it must've sounded nice in her mentally broken head. She ran over to Takeo, who burst into the forest once she came as close to him as possible.

This gave Azula time to think, but how much?

**I'll try to be posting the next chapter sometime this week; maybe tomorrow or Friday; either way, when I have the chance and as soon as possible. I hate to keep this so cut short in the middle of something.**


	26. Chapter Twenty Four Part Two

Twenty-Four

Confrontation

Part Two

What was happening? That was the first thing to come to her mind. Where to begin to see how things were going.

Bad. A simple word, and a summation of this whole fight on Azula and Takeo's side. However, Vietta hardly seemed to be breaking a sweat. They were losing, and they were going to die. Azula could almost see it, almost cried. Why did she have to die like this, by a spirit, and just when she was sure she could escape this horrid place?

_Don't panic now, Azula. Just think your way through this like you always do. There's always a path you can find, _her mind tried to calm her.

She stared at her hands, and really thought this through.

Who else could defeat a spirit? No, who was the only person who had the ability to defeat one? She could only think of that…the Avatar.

She shook her head immediately. If such measures needed to be taken, she'd rather be dead than admit she needed help from someone who was friends with those who took her and her father down…made her feel so disgraced.

Let them eventually figure it out. If she had the chance, this fight was her own-and also Takeo's. And time was ticking in her head; slowly going down…dying. There wasn't enough to find her brother and contact a boy wherever he was. Something else had to work.

Fire was against her, just when she needed it. It was suddenly making things so much worse, including pain. When the Comet came, it worked for her. It made her so powerful, so strong, nearly invincible. It just led her to anger…

…insanity…

…her fall. Maybe that's what caused it. All of this, because she had no way to control herself. Or at least, had no control of her fire or her temper. Yes, her anger, her lack of control, the likes; that was when hell had risen, and in the form of that asylum.

But after all the time in the asylum, she had certainly changed; somehow. She just knew. And now the price was being paid; karma from the Comet and the Agni Kai with her brother, and her brother's friend. No fire, just pain, and possibly death.

And the world ending? How was that fair? It couldn't have been her fault? Somehow, it connected, in the strangest way. …She'd have to make this up, her stupidity to let power get to her. She wanted power so much, but did she really have to go so far?

No, she didn't. But now she'd try to figure out some way to save herself in the craziest way, and defeat the creature.

Was this really how she had discovered the answers she needed? Just at the brink of death, an epiphany? That had to mean something.

Still, she needed flames. Firebending at its strongest, just to hold Vietta down. She thought of what her father always told her. Anger, pain, and power were the center of flames, creating them, using them against your enemies.

But what if…what if he was wrong? Was there a better way? Was there a way to get stronger flames, flames that could overpower those made of power and fury?

What…what would her uncle say? Surely, his age made him wiser. He might know a lot. He had amazing power. If there was a fight between him and Ozai, well, she had no idea where it would go.

And while Ozai wasn't a happy man, Iroh was. He kept a positive spin on things, even during a fight. He knew when to back down; he was smart like that. Back years ago, she would have found that pathetic, but maybe it wasn't so bad due to his circumstances. Iroh helped changed Zuko, who was equal in power when they fought in the Agni Kai. There had to be something…

Out of nowhere, she decided to think of something…good in her life. Only she didn't have many happy imagines. Her past was not anything nice, her childhood full of family drama and some kind of evil already taking her over in the form of a cunning child with a dysfunctional family.

Something did bring almost a smile to her face. She recalled months ago when she and her little group of misfits went to the beach. She especially enjoyed getting to destroy those stupid boys' house for revenge, but that was not the only ingredient that made it a decent memory.

That was a time where she wasn't judged, where she wasn't called a princess and didn't have so much pressure from that title. There was actually relaxing in her schedule, even dominating losers at volleyball with such ease. And of course, destroying a jerk's home for fun.

Azula ran to find Vietta and Takeo. She decided to give it a try. If anger wouldn't solver her problems, maybe something else would.

Takeo was still running from Vietta, trying to throw flames to throw her off. But it was useless and one even nearly hit Azula.

Vietta turned and saw Azula, and she made her move.

Azula shot flames while trying to find a balance in her life that was both good and bad. Equal. It was worth a shot.

It felt amazing, empowering. She felt the heat near her face as flames gulped Vietta like a snack. And Vietta did not have the chance to move. Azula laughed almost psychotically as she felt the power of these flames. They weren't blue, but they felt like nothing she had ever experience before.

It wasn't so bad.

Azula stopped to see her damage, and Takeo came beside her. He grabbed her shoulder as she saw how not just physically but mentally scarred he was by this. She nodded at him, as a sign to say, "Hey, this'll be fine." And then Vietta got out from the flames, nostrils flaring.

Vietta was not signed, though she was burned again. And the pain was obvious on her face; at least how she hid it. But it wasn't enough. Fire couldn't destroy her. It could only scar her. Takeo rushed her away, trying to hide as quick as they could. He had a feeling they were in deeper trouble than they started with; and he was right. They hid behind a random tree, as close together as they could so they could be as concealed as a tree could allow.

She tried so hard to forget how close they were, their bodies touching just a little. Back to their real problem. Something else had to work. She didn't have anything else, though.

"Really, you don't have anything to help me with?" Azula shouted in a rather desperate, hysterical tone. This wasn't going any better than she wanted. Right back at the start, desperate for a rescue.

Takeo took a minute to respond, pondering deeply for their savior. "Maybe if fire doesn't work-hey, maybe you can get something from the asylum. Guards always have some kind of weapon. We can use that!"

"I wish you said this sooner," Azula responded, wincing as the pain worsened at her sides. Takeo nodded rather vaguely, but they saw the spirit search the forest for them.

She turned to the asylum, on the brink of believing this was the end, that there was nothing left. If Takeo was right, maybe this could be solved.

"Distract her, Takeo. I'll be right back," she informed him, and turned to stare him in the eye with a serious glance. She wanted to see his face once more, in case the worst happened. It seemed silly, but she didn't get crushes; she just went with it nowadays unless she had control. She said in a stoic tone, "Don't get killed, though."

"I'll try."

She dashed against the trees. As long as Vietta was down, albeit for the shortest time, as long as Takeo held her down, she could get over there without being tortured inside.

Azula headed into the asylum, already feeling Vietta touching her mind, invading her thoughts. Sharp pain everywhere again, like fire licking her brain. She clutched it and almost fell to her knees.

_No, _her mind argued as she pulled herself together slowly and headed into the hallway. _I have too big problems to let you get to me like this._

She fought the pain, and was distracted by the group of people surrounding a room. Or, what was a room and was now a mess from Vietta's attack.

Everyone was inside. Even the guards she needed to find most. They were all searching through the debris from the spirit for any surviving bodies. Nothing outside interested them. Yup, there was not a sound from what was oblivious to them because of Vietta. Did they not even hear a sound from them? How horrifying.

"Azula, get back to bed! This is none of your concern!" Gia warned her, against Azula's glare.

"I have a lot more going on, true," she agreed in a whisper. But then in a louder tone said, "You wouldn't believe what I've been through, so I need something from one of you."

"Go now, Azula. I mean it!" Gia demanded harshly, even pointing to the ceiling above.

Azula, of course, didn't stop, didn't go upstairs. She swiftly breezed past Gia and went over to the nearest guard, who was dragging a person covered in ashes and bruises out of the chaos piled in debris. Sure enough, he had what she needed. Almost smiled, but was distracted by a few other guards coming over to tell her to leave.

Despite their size, she was definitely quicker. One tried to swipe at her, but she slid under his arms and went over the guard she saw. She had no time to see if others had what was wanted; just head for what she needed most at the moment.

She snatched the knife, shiny with a malicious smile curving as she stared at it for the shortest moment, from his belt with ease. The guard almost dropped the victim in response, but caught the patient just as quickly as his attention was taken away. The guards almost rounded her up, but she jumped over into the debris and jumped over it. She kicked a worker in the back of the head to give her more power in her jump.

"Azula, what are you doing?" Gia scolded with a snarling face. She reached out for Azula, but failed miserably. Then her expression changed; gaping mouth and blinking eyes. "Give that knife back-Azula, whatever you plan on doing with that, don't!"

"It's bigger than you think, believe me," Azula responded, and went off.

**How Azula realized fire isn't out of anger was definitely one of the toughest things to write. I tried so carefully to make it not sound stupid or cliché. And next chapter will be up this weekend. **


	27. Chapter Twenty Five

Chapter Twenty-Five

To End it All

When she ran back to the scene, she struggled to not just run away. There was fear in her blood, she could almost feel it. No one could blame her. But she couldn't stop; she was so close to finishing this, and she wanted to be the one to end it.

Vietta gave her a cold stare the minute she saw her; it was a stare that showed black eyes. Azula stared at them a second too long to see the evil inside and the death glowing in them. She hid the knife behind her back, wondered if the spirit already was aware of it. The spirit disappeared and she was alone for a moment.

Azula was alone, and when she realized that, she knew something was wrong-worse than being alone. "Takeo?" It was quiet, and she wondered where he was. She found him just a few feet from where Vietta had last been, partly hidden beyond a few trees, but once she looked, he was familiar.

She ran over to him; only his legs were wounded from before, but she noticed his unconscious, pained face. She knelt over him and felt his wrist; he was still breathing, only it a lot of pain. Why had she left? Maybe she could have helped…like they could have helped with Lya.

"You didn't have to hurt him like this!" Azula sneered behind her shoulder, feeling the spirit just behind her.

Sure enough, she was. She shrugged simply, casually. "Well, I was bored with these people killing themselves, honestly. I felt better when my own power, not the one of persuasion, caused their death."

Azula tossed out more flames, as much as she could use against her weakened state.

Vietta laughed and ducked. "Face it. He could die any second now. Just give up."

Azula revealed the dagger from behind her back, and Vietta glared. "But I don't give up. That's just not me," she answered simply.

"You might as well," Vietta hissed. "Because I have plenty of power from the spirit world. Watch!"

In a flash, Vietta made a rush of water from the seas behind them come to life in her hands. Perhaps spirit powers could transform into bending powers. Azula had to think fast, and did.

Against the water rushing against her back, she ran toward Vietta. The spirit was distracted, too sucked in by her powers to notice Azula. Azula was in the water, surrounding by it, impossible to see. She would have suffocated, and hurried against the currents.

She appeared from the water, and took a deep breath at the same time as she lunged for Vietta. The dagger poised in the air to hit the spirit directly in the chest. At that one moment where the spirit did not notice, it cost her the chance to dive away.

The dagger was planted into the demon's chest, and at halfway through did Azula stop. But that wasn't enough. Not for her. She took the dagger out. Only a slight gleam was in the silver, where blood was supposed to be from Vietta's insides. Spirits were different.

Azula smashed the knife right in between Vietta's eyes. Vietta's eyes grew, but stopped since the knife was only inches from her growing eyes. Vietta reached her hands out, nails scratching into Azula's shoulders. Azula, however, too determined to let Vietta's attacks, stopped her. And she slashed the knife down her face, stopping only just above her chin. She thought about the feeling of this knife, and suddenly remembered Vietta's pictures.

She stopped and dropped the knife, which hardly had a gleam minus the moon above.

There was no blood, no gruesome detail of her insides. There was just darkness lurking behind the face. It slipped from the face like blood and flowed down until it reached the floor between them. Azula threw fire at it, as if angry at the black goo. The goo was not harmed and was scarcely touched by it, but it did not react. The spirit's body limped to the ground, releasing Azula and leaving blood in their hands. She had her hands still reaching out, but something in Azula was sure it was out of a plead; a plead for a savior to, well, save them.

No one did. The spirit, a hole in her chest and a cut in her face leaving her being disgusting and horrid, fell on her side. Like a rag doll, she was limp and lifeless, just like that.

And just like that, the body transformed, no longer glowing, just sort of melting, blending into another form. In mere seconds, the creature was back to her former state, as the girl she once was. The innocent, unknowing killer, who transformed herself into something worse than anything Azula ever faced, all because she had no control of herself.

And now, Azula had killed her.

Azula dropped, kneeling again with her arms keeping her just that. But her arms felt numb, which had to be worse than feeling pain. Her limbs were transformed into jelly, and yet she knew of the pain and the wounds that were there. She couldn't stare at them. She couldn't even stare at Takeo, wherever he was. Was he even alive? He had to be.

Doctors rushed out just ten minutes later, but it was too late. Way too late. Why now? Why when she had defeated the creature, who at that moment, disappeared like a mist; slowly fading? No she had no proof for what had happened, and only Takeo would back her up. And that diary. She just felt it wouldn't be enough.

She slumped onto the ground, too tired from…_everything _to delay going to sleep anymore. She was out before she made contact with the wet grass.

**Soooo...obviously, I had no clue how to kill a spirit aside from this. So sue me; I'm not perfect. Everyone just wants this spirit dead. XD**

**Since this was so short, I will post the next chapter tomorrow. And after that, the final chapter will be brought out Tuesday. That's right; after this, we only have two chapters left-*SQUEAL* Though after this fight, it won't be…exciting, I guess I could put it. But who said this had an exciting ending? I'm sure you might like it no matter what, though. Review and all that jazz-thanks! :)**


	28. Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

Reawakening

Azula awoke to the brightest kind of lights, bordering on blinding. But the lights adjusted enough, as did her eyes, and suddenly, she could see her surroundings.

It wasn't where she was when she last recalled being awake, that was for sure. It was definitely in the asylum, only she had no idea where exactly. This room wasn't familiar. And she had no way to identify it.

"Azula's awake," replied a voice. Gia. That person was sort of familiar. Her mind scrambled for other people, just for the future. She knew this wouldn't be the last person she'd speak to.

A few doctors slowly came over to her. One of them was Dr. Kiko. He had a solemn, surprised look. "Azula, how are you feeling? Can you speak?"

"I'm absolutely speechless," Azula said with no humor.

Dr. Kiko ignored her sarcasm. "Be careful not to move, because your arms and some of your body are badly injured. Even some of your face. It's not critical, though," Dr. Kiko explained to her.

She looked over, though she could not tell where the pain should have resided. She was not only in a new white dress cleaned away from blood and dirt, but there were probably bandages concealing it. But Azula knew where Vietta nearly killed her; she didn't need to know. She, however, noticed one that was still visible at one glance; dug deep in, and right between her shoulder and throat, one she didn't really remember. It was pretty close to her throat. She nodded absentmindedly.

Something came into her mind, and nothing stopped her from asking, "Where's Takeo?"

Dr. Kiko pointed to her left, and her gaze followed.

Takeo was still sleeping, his blanket masking any marks of the fight she was sure he had. His legs had to be broken, and-yes, she saw the burn marks on his face from the flames that nearly ate him. She had to imagine that pain. She almost felt more sympathetic over him than herself.

"Will you mind telling me what happened outside between you two?" Dr. Kiko asked with a dark look. "There's a hole in the top corner where Takeo's room is. Nearly three people died. And we have no idea what happened, and just as we got those people out, we saw that mess and came outside to see you two unconscious. Mind explaining what happened?"

"I don't need to explain. Will you even believe me?" Azula shot. She was dubious anyone besides Takeo would believe her. She wished he would awaken, so he could back her up. Everything looked bad for her, and she knew that.

But she didn't just need Takeo, she reminded herself. She pointed to the only door, which was closed, in the room. "Go into my room. There's a diary there. It'll explain everything."

"I didn't give you a diary," Tai-Mali pointed out. "And no other nurses did either. So where did…?"

"It wasn't mine. It's Lya's."

"We checked out her room. We emptied it out after she hang herself, so did you-?"

Azula grew impatient. "If you go into my room, you can find it. It's that simple; your head shouldn't hurt that much from figuring that out," she told Tai-Mali, hoping it stung even a little.

But Tai-Mali said nothing. She nodded curtly with a sort of glare and headed out of the room. Dr. Kiko was now the only one that stayed, along with another doctor and another nurse, both unfamiliar.

Azula told him what she was sure was on his mind. "I didn't hurt Takeo, if that's what you think. What happened out there is…something you wouldn't be able to see."

"Then how did you _both _get hurt? Azula, this is beyond baffling for me, and we don't even have anything. If you told me, I…well, I'll try to believe you," Dr. Kiko went on, though she could hear his uncertainty, even saw it in his eyes.

Azula's eyebrows shot up. "Doctor, I have to say that despite what you think, you have a lot more to learn about me-about anyone here. You may think you're the greatest doctor ever, but you're dead wrong. Taking care of people-especially someone like me-is a lot more work than you see it."

Dr. Kiko's response was shock, and she hid her smirk away since she knew she hit the target dead-on. He took a step back with grown eyes of surprise. Then he glared down at her, a first for the "patient" Dr. Kiko. Maybe she had made him snap; finally.

"I'd prefer if you kept your thoughts of me silent. I'm going to go, Azula, and hopefully, you're speaking of the truth when you said you had Lya's diary," Dr. Kiko said dryly. "Although I'd hold that against you since you obviously stole it."

"You-!"

But before she could fight back, two things happened: Dr. Kiko already left, slamming the door, and she heard a groan beside her. She shut herself up immediately and turned over to him.

"How are you feeling?" she began with a smirk. She at least hoped he was willing to respond.

He did, rather hesitant and revealing a sort of pain. "Like a spirit beat the shit outta me."

"Oh, you'll get over it," she said.

"So…what happened? Why…are we here?" he asked in a sort of daze.

"Oh, I did what any hero did and killed the spirit; for the last time, hopefully," Azula answered.

"No way." He wasn't relieved or thankful; instead, he seemed surprised. "How?"

"I stabbed her, just when I thought she killed you," she said, attempting to hide out horrified the thought sounded deep down.

Takeo nodded. He paused, staring at the ceiling, pondering. "What now?"

"We need to get our stories straight," she replied automatically, not wanting to repeat it all; just saying it was poison in her tongue. "For all they know, they believe I tried to kill you and I caused that mess at the asylum. If you say something, then at least they'll believe me."

"No problem, it's the least I could do since you saved me from a killer spirit," he said with another of his grins. Suddenly, she remembered how despite she used to be bugged by that smile, it was growing on her.

Something else came to her mind. She took a deep breath, wondering if she should really ask. But she had to get it over with. What was the worst that could happen?

A lot. But still, it couldn't hurt to try. She sighed again. "Takeo, I need an answer. I'm not one who's going to wait and hope for an answer I want. Just tell me…how you really feel about me." Her hair shaded her face from sight of other people that were wandering in and out of the room now.

She stared hard at his face, ready to accept his answer. No matter what. She had done so much crap, enough to make her insane, take her to this wretched place. He was not worth it if she had to fight for him, too. _Enough, _she thought, _I don't need this. Just a real home._

Their eyes locked, and for the shortest second, she thought of his answer from the softness in his dark irises. A quiet "yes," where she would get her way and get to a new path in her life where he was there. A boy who really cared for her, and meant to her. He had hurt her, unintentionally led her to love him by Lya's strange plot, made her heart break, and sat there while she, in great pain almost as much as his, destroyed Vietta. But she still wanted him-as long as he wanted her and it was worth it in the end.

But then Takeo closed his lids for another moment, and sighed deeply. She glared and heard him answer in a low whisper, "Sorry, Azula, it's just too complicated for me to really think about that. And I'm sure I don't. I haven't really…thought about it."

Her heart didn't sink. Not a single crack; she felt absolutely nothing but regret of even asking. Did she even have a heart? So many believed she didn't; she wondered if they were right. A person whose brutal personality shoved away anyone who could actually, possibly love her, that was her. That was how it was before.

That was months ago, though. She had changed, she was sure of it. Not entirely, but enough to not kill anyone. That was a start. She would just not waste her life to get him. That was girls in pathetic novels would do. But Azula was stronger, better than that.

Just a month ago, she wouldn't have done anything for him. But now, she would risk her life to save him and of course herself from a demon. She would be at his side when he was weak and in pain. She would come to him and listen even a little to his torture inside. And she wanted him at her side when she needed someone. It sounded so strange to think about these things, but she knew what was thinking about and didn't deny it.

But Takeo would not do anything like that for her. She understood that. Only she didn't want to believe it. The one time she really was drawn close to someone, it was ripped apart. She really had no idea what to think of it besides disappointment. She almost wanted to feel depression, just to feel something, but there was something deep down wrong with her.

She nodded slowly, just so he didn't have to say it again. She scrunched her face, and turned away. "Sorry I asked," she grumbled. She fell back onto her bed, and she closed her eyes. To dream away from this world. At least her dreams were safe, away from Vietta's mind games.


	29. Epilogue

**Last chapter. Thanks so much for all of your support, everyone. It meant a lot for me, and it's been awesome. Gotta say, I haven't watched the show in a long while (I really should when I get the chance), so I'm doing what I can with Zuko and the others. Tell me what you think.**

Epilogue

Return to the Old Days

**Two Months Later**

She was given the chance to wear something other than the dismal white dress, and took something not too fancy: just a dull red and gold kimono. She didn't argue, either. The only reason being that she had no idea what was going to happen to her after this. Had it really been just two months after all of that? And now her doctors were releasing her. It was about time…

Once Takeo and she explained the mess, and the doctors read Lya's explicit diary, most of it made sense to the doctors. Most, anyway.

They never believed the ghost, saying Lya could write anything but that didn't mean it was true, but as long as no one died, nothing would be taken into account. Their pain from wounds was enough damage, as Dr. Kiko were saved from the doctors believing they were murders and getting in gargantuan trouble. But after that was hard, mentally shifting everything. She almost thought she was back at the beginning. That was as big a price if anything.

But she had to be strong. She had reasons to leave; this place had bad memories, bad thoughts. Anything had to be better than Yun Ko. And the only place she could go to was home, and there was one way to get there: slowly heal. And she did eventually.

Azula reached the front doors, staring at the window that little girl always sat. Was that really a ghost who was slowly murdering poor, weak patients? It was so unexpected.

"Ready, Azula?" asked a guard, and he gestured outside, which was revealed by the open door. The bright sunlight almost was welcoming her. A sign that it was time to leave.

She nodded. Before leaving, she thought of Lya, the strangest of girls who was also one of the toughest. She thought of Dr. Kiko, the man who was more focused on money than getting her better; he just did what he was told to say to crazy people. She thought of her nurses, mainly Gia and Tai-Mali, women who she almost felt bad for when they had to take care of her in her most messed up of times. Though she couldn't stand Tai-Mali and Gia had a grudge against everything, they still had something in them that Azula nearly gave respect to. She thought of Takeo…

She stopped there. She gulped against a lump in her throat and escaped Yun Ko. She jumped into the carriage and didn't take a single glance back to the place. If she tried hard enough, she wouldn't have to face that stuff anymore, only things that made sense or didn't make her hate the world.

Azula remembered the first carriage ride to the asylum. It felt like so long ago, ancient history. She stared through the only open hole in the carriage. It had to be a short ride.

But it went quicker than she remembered the last time. She stared at the town, ready to show her face to those who were around. She wondered if anyone would know who she was after months and months of being away.

It all seemed the same. Unlike her, anything had hardly changed. So things probably did go one while she was gone; a world without her could survive. What an odd thing to think about…

And they arrived to the palace. She stared up at it. Her old home. She was more than elated to be welcomed back. With open arms? Probably not, but she needed a home that was hers, that she greatly desired.

The carriage driver opened the door, and he followed her inside. Guards were aligned straight on either side of her, stiff like every guard she had seen. They were blank faced, even though they were sure Azula was still powerful and maybe crazy. They were half right.

The guards opened the door and immediately, someone was there to welcome her-and by welcome, it was with a sort of glare that would have attempted to reveal hate if Azula actually had any concern for her brother's thoughts of her.

Azula smirked. "It's been a while, Zuzu. Miss me?" she said, feeling slight nostalgia to say that silly nickname she gave Zuko, just to annoy him.

"How are you doing, Azula?" he asked, his one eyebrow narrowed to give him the harsh, impatient face that was all too familiar. "They told me you've been doing good and could come back home, but…it's not something I'm not buying yet."

"Well, since I haven't blown this place to bits, I'd say I'm doing fairly well," Azula replied easily. She was convincing herself she was healed of the demon inside her faster than she thought as this conversation went on.

Zuko gave her a quizzical look but moved on. "But Azula, I just don't think I could help you out with this. You really caused me, and the world at that matter, a lot of trouble. What makes you think I'll let you come back?"

"Because that's what siblings do," Azula answered swiftly, easily inspired by her own words.

"Siblings don't shoot them with lightning."

"I wasn't trying to hit you. I was trying to hit the Water Tribe Peasant."

"You shouldn't have tried to hit anyone. I almost got killed because of you!" his voice rose and nearly bounced against the palace walls. His guards gave him ascended eyebrows.

"Well, isn't this like old times, Zuzu? I missed it back at the asylum. It's not like home," Azula responded finally, allowing Zuko to realize what he was getting into. She decided not to tell him how his guards seemed somewhat concerned about Zuko's rising temper. "Not many talk to me like you do."

He cleared his throat, and the recognition was there. He still glared with his single brow. "I still don't think it'd be safe for anyone here to see that you're here. Sorry."

"I have nowhere else to go," she growled. "You can't just kick me out. At least do something good for the sake of being kind to your own blood."

They were interrupted by a squeal. "Azula!" squealed someone behind her, and when Azula turned around, she was tackled in a large hug by a person in pink. The doors were opened, and another person came in behind Ty Lee, not as enthused as her.

"I'm so glad you're back!" Ty Lee said, and Azula almost thought she was crying.

But when she let Azula go and stepped backward, she wasn't. Just smiling widely and with shining eyes.

Mai was there, too, but kept her distance. Hugging wasn't her style. Neither was it for Azula, but she let it go for just this one time. It was better than being chi blocked by her. "Hello, Ty Lee. It feels like it's been forever since someone's been glad to see me," she said with a glare beyond her shoulder, directed at her brother.

Zuko didn't care for her glower. "I'll let you three talk, and I'll discuss letting you stay here again with my council." And then he left with his guards and sages. The three friends were alone again.

"I'm sure someone didn't, uh, hate you in the asylum." Despite Ty Lee's hesitance, Azula knew that that was somewhat true.

"That doesn't matter, just as long you have us again. Oh, it's great to have us back with each other!" Ty Lee trilled, hugging both Azula and Mai with each arm. "Maybe you can even come visit Kyoshi Island with me. I'm sure they could forgive you if I'm with you," she added.

Azula stared at her, almost asking how Ty Lee met those Kyoshi warriors, but then again, she had a flash of an old memory; when she forced them into prison, where those other warriors had been placed. Azula blinked and said instead, "Ty Lee, I absolutely have no interest in befriend those fan wielding freaks with overdosed makeup. It was a pain enough to wear their clothes when we invaded Ba Sing Se."

"Still haven't changed, have you?" Mai asked.

"A little, I've changed, to be honest," Azula answered.

"C'mon, let's go have something to drink, and we could talk. I don't want to just stand here. There's a lot to talk about!" Ty Lee interrupted, and she dragged her friends out of the palace and into the streets.

Ty Lee took them to table that sat behind a building that sold half decent tea. She came back in an instant with tea for each girl. "I told him to give me his best tea, but seriously, I wish we could go to Ba Sing Se; your uncle makes the absolute best tea!" she commented, putting the teas on the table.

"It's really not that bad," Mai agreed with less enthusiasm. But she grinned a little.

For a moment, there was a bit of silence; the first since Ty Lee and Mai came. But of course, Ty Lee filled the gap. "So, Azula, I'm sure you met someone in the asylum that didn't…well, didn't like you," Ty Lee began with a slight blush adding more pink to herself.

Azula fidgeted in her seat. She nodded and replied absentmindedly, "Yes, actually. I met a boy there. His name was Takeo." She didn't want to bring up Lya; it only made things depressing.

There was a silence that Azula didn't expect, and it wasn't a good kind of silence. "Azula," Ty Lee spoke, slightly revealing being uncomfortable a little as she fidgeted in her seat before she went on, "isn't that the boy who ran away a while ago?"

Azula put her tea down, lips pursed as the tea suddenly became bitter. "Yes," she answered.

"Isn't he still?" Ty Lee was scared a little, Azula could see it. A wanted runaway from an asylum without permission; of course it would make someone as nervous as her.

Azula nodded. She only received the news because her old doctor knew that she was so close to Takeo before she left. But the news of a patient from an asylum was out there, and she wondered if he had any wanted posters. She expected him to get better, so he could get out and be with her, or at least maybe visit every once in a while. But no, Takeo made his mind in the darkest way. No way to change, he must've thought, or Azula telling him of her feelings towards him made him scared. Azula had no idea what was going through his mind as just a week ago, Dr. Kiko informed Azula of him running away. The people of the asylum have searched, but so far nothing.

Azula had tried to forget him. Love was never her best subject, nor was she familiar with it. It almost made her sick. It was nothing like with Chan-that was a one-time thing. But with Takeo, Azula, one night, dreamed of him, just him standing there. It revealed how much she thought of him, though, much to her horror.

"You sure have strange taste in men, Azula," Mai commented at the side.

"Mai," Ty Lee whispered in shock, like Mai's attitude was a surprise.

Azula ignored that comment, still deep in thought. She went away from the table and leaned against the wall just beside them. Why would Takeo run away? He was smarter than that, surely. It was like when Lya hanged herself; when the world was against them, when noting made sense.

At that moment, she snapped, letting the tears flow. She bit her lip as the hot water streamed down her face. She made no sound to reveal her tears. Exiled Fire Princess Azula, weak and pitiable, admitting to defeat through water falling from her eyes. Ty Lee and Mai flinched at the reaction and gave each other surprised glances. But the tears could be noticed. They were never shown from her face-except at the end of the war, when she realized her downfall-until now.

Ty Lee was the first to do anything, getting up and observing Azula's face, seeing deep into her aura to see where the tears came from.

Azula stopped just a minute later, stopping herself before anyone else noticed. She would only ever allow these two to see her in tears.

"I'm really sorry, Azula. I had no idea how this boy really meant to you," Ty Lee said.

Azula cleared her throat. "I don't need a boy in my life to make me happy. I just need to how it was before all of this," Azula told her, again hardening her face. Tear streaks only made the face seem weakened, but Azula imagined that Ty Lee could see the Azula she knew before she was forced into the asylum-at least, she wanted to imagine. She wanted to be known as the old self, before she lost all her insanity.

Had she gotten it back? One can never lose insanity; it's always there. Only Azula let hers go, because she had a reason. Now, she knew to try harder to keep it in. Now, she knew she was not perfect, that her wild temper sent her into a world she hadn't anticipated. Now, Azula knew how her cold hearted ways were not always going to get her to what she wanted. Now, she knew that she would not always try to force away anyone who tries to get near her. Not Takeo, not even her friends, even after what happened.

The world gave her a second chance, and she was willing to do just about anything to use it to get back to the world she was use to and loved. She was curious of the world she had entered and just left, but it was an odd one would she wasn't keen on returning to, unless he returned. Whatever came at her after this, such as Zuko allowing her in the castle, she could handle; after Yun Ko, she felt almost immortal.

**What will happen to Azula after this? Even I don't know, but why give away the simplest details? That's for you the readers, can decide where it goes from there, if you are so curious.**

**Well, that's it all. This'll be the first ever longer (than two chapters, I mean ;)) fanfiction I ever ACTUALLY completed. It feels great. And I just want to, again, say thanks those who supported this fanfiction throughout it all, because I can't say it enough, seriously! It totally meant a lot to me, because this was a tough thing to make, let me tell you. I know it wasn't quite as great as what others would make, but the fact that I finished this and it's something I did, so I'm proud of it. **

**And with that, I put this fanfiction to a close with a simple good-bye. ADIOS! Well, it's simple for people who speak Spanish! ^^**


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